onsitestudio designs service areas for 2015 world expo

‘expo 2015 service areas and west access pavilion’ by onsitestudio, milan, italy
image © onsitestudio

milan-based practice onsitestudio has recently won the competition to design all the service areas and the west access pavilion for the upcoming 2015 world expo. the complete project will feature 13 large buildings, 17 medium buildings, and 16 smaller units totaling 64,000 m2 functioning as all the support facilities at the global event. wood is chosen as the only uniform material present throughout the structures, reiterated at different scales to relate to individual tasks. the design stemmed from the idea of creating a space rather than a building. a series of tapered columns loosely recall those of the classical stoa, supporting precast slabs that make up the floors. solid walls are eliminated to allow a transparency through the constructs so the interiors are marked by qualities of light and shadow, glass panels, and cascading water features instead of physical barriers. the approach strips the buildings of unnecessary elements and provides only the bare essentials, a contemporary soul, to comply with the necessary services without becoming the protagonist of an event marked by architectural diversity.

west access pavilion
image © onsitestudio

image © onsitestudio

image © onsitestudio

model
image © onsitestudio

open walls allow light and air to define space
image © onsitestudio

image © onsitestudio

image © onsitestudio

columns set up a contemporary interpretation of the classic stoa
image © onsitestudio

site plan
image © onsitestudio

floor plan / level 0
image © onsitestudio

floor plan
image © onsitestudio

sections
image © onsitestudio

detail section
image © onsitestudio

structural diagram
image © onsitestudio

project info:

location: milan
client: expo s.p.a. – metropolitana milanese s.p.a.
project status: international competition – 1st prize, detailed design phase
project team: onsitestudio with liverani – molteni architetti
architects: angelo lunati, giancarlo floridi
design team: cristina callejas, arianna conca, michele miserotti, chiara molinari, andrea morstabilini, lorenza odorizzi, luca penucchini, cristina tsompanoglou
consultants: monica lavagna, lavinia chiara tagliabue, michela buzzetti