EXPO MILANO 2015
Expo Milano 2015 is the Universal Exhibition that Milan, Italy, will host from May 1 to October 31, 2015. Over this six-month period, Milan will become a global showcase where more than 140 participating countries will show the best of their food-technology to guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone. Expo Milano 2015 expecting to welcome over 20 million visitors is a platform for the exchange of ideas and shared solutions on the theme of food. It will give everyone the opportunity to find out about taste, the world’s best dishes, while discovering the best of the agri-food and gastronomic traditions of each of the exhibitor countries.
CLUSTERS
RICE – ABUNDANCE & SECURITY
Upon entering the Rice Cluster, visitors will be immersed in a surrounding that will give the effect of being inside a large paddy field. This rural setting will offer the visitor an authentic experience and allow them to enjoy the colors and smells of a real paddy field. The Rice Cluster will also gradually unveil information on how rice grows, such as how the water covers and protects the new rice plants.
COCOA AND CHOCOLATE: THE FOOD OF GODS
Upon entering the Cocoa and Chocolate Cluster, visitors will feel as if they are walking into the jungle. The Cluster is based on the concept of recreating the environment in which cacao trees grow, on tropical and subtropical plantations. The external parts of the buildings are made of very light materials, which open slightly to reveal the internal canopy. This design symbolizes the need to protect such a valuable and aromatic product as cocoa.
COFFEE: THE ENGINE OF IDEAS
When the Coffee Cluster was created, it took its inspiration from the vast coffee plantations that grow at the edges of the tropical forests of Africa and Central America. The architecture of the cluster evokes the long branches of the tall trees under which the coffee plants grow. The pavilions are a metaphor of these tree trunks.
FRUITS AND LEGUMES
The Fruits and Legumes Cluster contains fruit plants of varying sizes that give off their aroma, inviting visitors in to discover the legends, history and origins that surround them. Visitors can move freely around the paths that divide the different countries and the fruits that grow in them. Through the use of real plants and light and shade effects, visitors will have the opportunity to experience how it might feel to walk through a real cultivated forest environment.
SPICES: THE WORLD OF SPICES
Follow the spice route through continents, lands and seas. Smell their aromas. Use them as culinary ingredients, medicinal remedies or cosmetics. All this is possible for visitors as they step into the World of Spices Cluster that offers a truly sensorial experience.
CEREALS AND TUBERS: OLD AND NEW CROPS
Although cereals and tubers are the most popular and common crops around the world, few are aware of the long production chain that is involved. This is the challenge behind the concept of this pavilion which greets visitors and accompanies them through an ensemble of colors, textures, and scents that takes them back to their cultivation. A journey that, like a river, runs through the pavilions of the different countries, finally flowing out into a great canopied space that hosts events and offers refreshments.
BIO-MEDITERRANEUM: HEALTH, BEAUTY AND HARMONY
The concept of this Cluster is based upon the Mediterranean cuisine and the way of life in this area, which is centered on participation and integration. The atmosphere in this Cluster aims to recreate the colors, tastes and aromas that are typical of the Mediterranean countries and cultures.
ISLANDS, SEA AND FOOD
One of the main characteristics of nature is to nourish, engage and stimulate the soul. The Islands, Sea and Food Cluster concept is based on this characteristic that is typical in nature, “feeding the soul” through its sounds, colors and aromas. The sound of rushing water, the crunch of gravel and the knocking of wood, gives the visitor a sense of the harmony typically found within the lands of this Cluster.
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION IN THE ARID ZONES
Desert sandstorms are the inspiration behind the design of this Cluster, which represents the arid and uninhabitable environment found in various parts of the world. Despite how harsh these environments are, there is still life and resources to be discovered here.