Holy See

Architecture Quattroassociati Architetti
Area 747 sq m

The Vatican came up with one of the most striking and inspiring pavilions. A largely concrete structure by architecture practice Quattroassociati Architecti, it offers a partially collapsed origami cube with a triangular tear at its apex and slim metal lettering pinned to it (designed by Ginette Caron and Masami Moriyama) spelling out in Latin and other languages the pavilion's theme: 'Not by bread alone'.

This was one of few spaces to present food issues in a global political and social context, as well as exploring the social and collective significance of food and mealtimes. 'Food is not only portrayed as nourishment for the body, but as a gesture of nurturing, a meal and a convivium; a moment of encounter and communion, education and growth,' the publicity declares.

At the entrance, stirring reportage images of war, famine, loneliness (the scourges of modern society) are laid out on a rendered concrete wall. On the next wall there is a framed Last Supper by Jacopo Tintoretto and around the corner three screens tell of 'the commitment of the church and of pope Frances to fight hunger...'

No matter whether the visitor is believer or aetheist, there's a commendable simplicity and integrity to the presentation. The bare concrete interior walls and floors bring a humility to the lyrical Le Corbusier shapes, curving inwards and up to a small skylight. In the centre is a huge interactive table, a universal symbol of the place where people work, eat, discuss and learn.

The interactive gimmickry is superficial -- you move your hand over the table and suddenly another pair of hands pops up on the film and magically removes a bowl of food, plays the xylophone, moves a chess piece, types on a laptop. On the way out is a collection box - voluntary, of course.

Continue for France or read:

The making of Wolfgang Butruss' UK Pavilion

Milan Expo 2015: From Blueprint's point of view