A team of GSD alumni was awarded Honorable Mention in the competition for the Mexican Pavilion in the World Expo Milan 2015. Manuel Diaz (MArch ’13), Marcela Delgado (MArch ’11), Emmet Truxes (MArch ’13) and Elena Tudela (MAUD ’12) collaborated to earn the honor.
Mexico is known to be one of the centers of origin for many domesticated crops grown today. However, farmers, distributors and consumers are largely unaware of the broad and complex system and the relationships that hold them together. Building upon the theme of the World Expo Milan 2015, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” the GSD team proposed to reconcile the cognitive gap that exists between world food production and consumption.
The proposed pavilion takes Expo visitors through a canyon that guides them through the exhibits, culminating on the roof where a sample of Mexico’s agricultural biodiversity grows. A series of periscopes connects the rooftop visually with the exhibition and restaurant areas, narrowing the gap between production and consumption. The pavilion itself is made of rammed earth, a material rooted in Mexico’s building traditions and cultural identity. In addition, this construction method allows for passive comfort systems and the building can be recycled once the expo is finished.
The competition, launched by ProMéxico, received 40 entries, which were exhibited this week at the award ceremony in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read more about the competition.