See the latest photos of the U.S. Pavilion at the Milan Expo 2015

Over 140 countries have taken to the international stage of the Milan Expo 2015, which is now closing in on its first week. This year's roster of participants responded to the theme, "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life", which addresses the global issue of food security, sustainable management, and worldwide access to food for the future.

For the U.S. pavilion, New York-based Biber Architects designed an open barn-inspired pavilion titled “American Food 2.0: United to Feed the Planet". Breaking ground last summer, The pavilion displays America's pivotal role in the future of food that emphasizes "openness, transparency and accessibility" in an exhibition designed by Thinc Design. The approximately 3,900m² structure includes a harvestable vertical farm, landscape design by dlandstudio, and "uniquely American" cultural elements like an expansive boardwalk and a series of food trucks.

Read on for more project details.

Project description:

"Organized by Friends of the USA Pavilion Milano 2015  –  a  collaboration  between  the  James  Beard  Foundation  and  the  International  Culinary  Center  in  association  with the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy – the USA Pavilion is designed to showcase America’s role in the future of food around the world and create a global conversation about the challenge of feeding more than 9 billion people nutritiously by 2050.

It is as much a platform for the content embodied in its exhibitions, as it is an exhibit in its own right. According to James Biber, founder and principal of Biber Architects, 'The pavilion itself is a scaffolding for ideas, a rethinking of the nature of the expo pavilion and of America as a force in the food world.'"

"On one side of the pavilion, visitors are greeted to a subtle reference to Old Glory with a perforated aluminum façade of red, white and blue. On the main pedestrian approach, the pavilion opens its airplane hangar-sized door to another distinctly American, food-related image: the boardwalk.

Made of salvaged lumber from the Coney Island boardwalk, the walkway rises from the ground level to the second floor,  serving as the main forum for self-guided viewing and concealing a defined exhibition space below. On the top floor, a rooftop terrace featuring dimmable glass shade panels will host nightly parties for the rooftop-craving Italian crowds while also catering to VIPs and diplomats."

"The main architectural feature is a motorized vertical farm – the length of a football field – flanking one side of the pavilion. Conceived as a farm field tipped vertically to act as a didactic display, the architects chose ZipGrow Towers, developed by American agricultural technology start-up Bright Agrotech, to outfit the 7,000-square-foot hydroponic façade."

"Using 4’ modules made of recycled soda bottles, 42 varieties of crops including green vegetables, fruiting vegetables, grains and herbs will be sustained in soil plugs and a drip irrigation system and harvested every two weeks during the exposition."

"One of the central programs of the USA Pavilion will be Food Truck Nation, a series of food trucks that highlight America’s street food culture while referencing the nation’s diversity, entrepreneurial spirit, and fascination with the road."

Project Credits

Theme: Open Pavilion
Client: Friends of the USA Pavilion/USA Department of State
Architect:  Biber Architects
James Biber FAIA (partner in charge), Daniel Marino, Steven Grootaert, Jackie Krasnokutskaya, Suzanne Holt, Emaan Farhoud, Suzanne Lettieri, Joshua Jow, Federico Pellegrini, Rawan Muqaddas

Architect of Record: GLA Genisu Loci Architettura S.r.l.
Engineering:  ESA Engineering
Structures and Systems:  SCE Project
Exhibit Design:  Thinc Design
Lighting Design: Tillotson Design Associates
Landscape Design : dlandstudio
Graphic Design: Pentagram
Area of Structure: approx. 3,900m²

More photos in the thumbnail gallery below.

Also find more Milan Expo projects on Bustler here.