Image courtesy of Studio Link-Arc

China’s Expo Milan 2015 pavilion

Tsinghua University, in collaboration with New York-based design firm Studio Link-Arc have conceived “The China pavilion” for the Milan Expo 2015 as a field of different spaces. Hovering over the “field of hope” on the ground floor, a floating cloud structure offers a distinctive undulating roof and shelters the cultural and exhibition programs beneath.

Image courtesy of Studio Link-Arc

The project is based on the theme, “the land of hope” and embodies this in the fluid-forming volume – derived by merging the skyline of the city on the north side with the shape of the landscape on its southern end. Joining these two traditionally opposing elements seeks to foster a feeling of “hope” that they can exist in harmony together.

Image courtesy of Studio Link-Arc

The pavilion’s roof uses a timber frame that references a raised-beam system found in traditional Chinese architecture, adapting it with modern construction technology. Clad in shingled panels that mimic terra-cotta surfaces, they are reinterpreted as large bamboo components to reduce the overall weight and create a shaded space below.

Image courtesy of Studio Link-Arc

Informed by China’s agrarian past, the ground plane is defined by a landscape of wheat, transitioning seamlessly into an expansive multimedia installation at the center. A matrix of LED stalks appear as if a part of this farming field, forming the main centerpiece of the exhibition.

Image courtesy of Studio Link-Arc

The exhibition and cultural programs are experienced as a journey through the pavilion, beginning with an exterior waiting area and leading to the themed area with interactive installations from forty Chinese provinces.

Image courtesy of Studio Link-Arc

From here, visitors are guided up a gently sloping public staircase to a view platform above the glittering LED matrix – and beyond to another multimedia room, featuring a short film. The sequence concludes with people stepping onto an open balcony above the bamboo roof that offers an expansive vista of the expo grounds.

more. www.link-arc.com | www.tsinghua.edu.cn