Milan Expo 2015: The Pavilions - Europe
Blueprint brings you the run down of pavilions in Europe from the 2015 Milan Expo
Austria
Architecture and design Klaus K Loenhart, Terrain of Graz
Area 560 sq m
Austria is up there with the Brits for transplanting something rather special of its terrain into this Expo. But where the UK pavilion brought a meadow, the Austrians planted a mini forest, in the interests of inspiring us to think about the air we breathe.
Architect and landscape architect Klaus K Loenhart of the team Terrain of Graz has devised a space where architecture, nature, culture and research meet in one experiential journey. A pathway through vegetation leads into this timber structure, raised off the ground on concrete feet to improve air circulation. Mounds of earth have been deposited in the heart of the building and planted with mature Austrian trees, ferns and wild flowers. The forest path leads up to the black walled enclosure of the first floor, where a change in air quality is tangible. It feels cool, moist; the scent of pine and earth stimulating nostrils. Apparently, the pavilion creates 62.5k of oxygen an hour, without filters or air conditioners -- enough for 1,800 people in an ideal climate. Long benches along the walls invite sitting and savouring the plants and the atmosphere. A triangle of pond-like water is for contemplation.
Nearby there is a digital viewer on a swivel that allows you to search the immediate flora. Wherever it is pointed its screen reveals a close-up of the area in question, and a description of the relevant plant species. The simplest of graphics explain the science as well as the purpose of the pavilion: 'This air-generating station is one solution to 21st century urban environmental conditions. This pavilion could be: your school, your office, your...'
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