CEREALS & TUBERS CLUSTER IN EXPO 2015

The Cereals and Tubers Cluster is located within the Expo 2015 area and overlooks the Decumano.

It houses the pavilions of 7 countries with reduced economic capacity: Bolivia, Congo, Haiti, Mozambique, Togo, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

For the first time in a Universal Exposition, countries with limited resources are not hosted in the indistinct space of traditional Joint Pavillions but in thematic groups, offered and contributed by Expo and Politecnico di Milano.

The project involves the construction in prefabricated X-lam wood structure of pavilions with a square plan, each of about 250/300 sqm with the exception of the pavilion of the Venezuela of triple surface area.

The total area of ​​about 4,000 sqm is dedicated to the common contents of the theme and, in addition to the pavilions of the hosted countries, provides a stage for shows and events, a kitchen for the presentation of meals, a space for temporary exhibitions.

The project is based on the principle of knowledge of these two species of plants that constitute a food base for a large part of the Planet, through a path which, in addition to exposing the real plants, instructs on all the steps that lead to the consumption of the food derived from them.

Large tables with tanks of cultivated earth tell the world of cereals and tubers through seeds, plant characteristics, cultivation, food production.

The route takes place through a "valley" covered by a canopy which reduces the solar pressure on visitors while allowing the growth of plants.

The ending part represents the formal translation of the place where food is prepared and consumed.

As in the ancient caravanserais, the merchants (here the hosted Countries) cross their cultures, not just food. In this place the commercial exchanges take place, the people rests and cooks.

The great pyramidal roof, a metaphore of a village tent or a Han, is a fireplace for a cooking oven, a place of meeting and rest stop; on the other hand a way of generating a space highly suggestive with zenith light in which events can take place.

Here a building houses the restaurant kitchens, a stage for shows and tribunes for informal seating.

The choice of materials is radical: iron for the roof, bituminous jute cloth and polycarbonate for the pavilions.

The building is completely demountable and recyclable.