Expo 2015 and the latest architectural developments

The most famous international architects have designed the pavilions at the Universal Exposition, while Milan took the opportunity to be transformed and change its look.The creativity of dozens of architects from all over the world has contributed to realize Expo 2015 with different solutions and languages in accordance with the countries of origin and their styles.Although the Tree of Life produced the “Fun Fair effect” (to the pleasant surprise of many visitors) and some pavilions conveyed an identity that is, perhaps, too traditional (such as Turkmenistan, Hungary, Oman, Qatar, Nepal and Romania), there are many structures that are worth visiting.An example is Brazil and the impressive walkable net that covers the entire length of the structure and is suspended above the country’s various cultivations. Strong emotions were undoubtedly aroused by the internal forest proposed by Austria, the desert sand of a Kuwaiti environment, the British beehive and Korea’s total white.The Bahrain and Angola spaces were also highly appealing. The Bahrain area in particular invited visitors to immerse themselves in a long sequence of spaces flowing from the inside to the outside, to shade and fragments of an Arabian landscape. Lastly, worthy of a visit are the nine theme Clusters, exemplary demonstrations of the creativity of young designers.For Expo 2015, Milan wanted to introduce itself to an international public with a new architectural look by reclaiming historical spaces that had deteriorated, and also to show a new face of skyscrapers and futuristic residential districts.The Darsena (dock), Milan’s ancient river port, for example, has been returned to past splendor with cycle routes, boarding points for tourist boat trips, and pedestrian areas. The old exhibition center in Milan is now the site of Citylife, a new district of green spaces dominated by an existing skyscraper, the Allianz building, and by another one under construction. Recently inaugurated in the former Ansaldo area is Mudec, the Museum of Cultures that hosts the ethnographic collections of Milan City Council and is a meeting place for the world’s cultures.The world of fashion has also made its contribution to this renaissance: Giorgio Armani opened a Silos that hosts the archives of his work of 40 years, the Trussardi Foundation contributed to the creation of the Wheatfield at Porta Garibaldi and, lastly, the Prada Foundation opened its new headquarters, an “Art Campus”, designed by internationally renowned architect Rem Koolhaas.(photo by Angelo Dadda)