Italy Pavilion Milan Expo 2015

The project draws inspiration from the image of an urban forest: four blocks emerge around a large central plaza covered by a photovoltaic skylight, evoking the idea of deep roots and canopies open to the future. This natural metaphor not only defines the building’s form but also shapes its meaning. Palazzo Italia interprets the country as a complex ecosystem made up of relationships, connections, culture, and innovation. The branching envelope and the geometric texture of the prefabricated panels transform the volume into a grand, lived-in architectural space, capable of generating a continuous interplay between light, shadow, and space. The building is not merely meant to be observed: it is traversed, lived in, and experienced. Architecture thus becomes a form of collective storytelling, capable of representing Italian identity through experience and perception.

Palazzo Italia represents a synthesis of architectural research, technological innovation, and environmental sustainability. The project incorporates highly experimental materials and systems, including i.active BIODYNAMIC photocatalytic concrete, which helps reduce air pollutants, along with a photovoltaic glass roof designed to generate energy and maximize natural light. Conceived as a nearly zero-energy building (NZEB), Palazzo Italia integrates advanced strategies for sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental control.

The entire design and construction process was carried out using 3D modeling and BIM systems, making it possible to create complex geometries and ensuring precision, coordination, and control in the transformation of a highly experimental vision into a built reality. Here, innovation is not viewed as an isolated technological element, but as an integral part of a broader cultural and design vision.

The interior layout guides visitors through a dynamic sequence of plazas, bridges, exhibition spaces, an auditorium, and reception areas. Sloped surfaces, visual connections, and spatial relationships create a progressive and immersive experience in which movement becomes a narrative tool. Architecture does more than simply house functions: it builds relationships, generates emotions, and translates content into experience. In the context of Expo, Palazzo Italia served as a vehicle capable of transforming a visit into a shared cultural experience; today, it continues to reinterpret that role as a space dedicated to the production of knowledge and innovation. Its legacy thus transcends the nature of a temporary event, confirming the project as a permanent cultural infrastructure.