Must see: French pavilion to take food from roof to table

France has presented its design for Expo Milano 2015 in Milan—its representative building will be covered in gardens on the outside, from which food will be harvested and served inside. Designed by XTU architects, the pavilion was made based on the expo's theme: "Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life."

The pavilion will have an undulating interior meant to evoke the rolling hills of France, albeit an upside-down version, Dezeen reports. Through the use of digital fabrication techniques, layers of timber will give the building its unique ridged structure. The plan is for vines to grow through the gaps in the latticed wood.

Food from the building’s exterior—specifically, vegetables, hops, and herbs—will be harvested daily and cooked using hydroponic processes in the pavilion’s restaurant. In addition to the restaurant, an exhibition on France’s food production will inhabit the interior.

XTU said in a statement: “On the facades, we grow hops, on the terrace aromatic herbs, and in the restaurant, vegetables to be eaten on the spot. Hydroponic production that depicts the French innovation in partnership with the world leader of the sector! It is the image of a "fertile market", in direct production-consumption system. And at the end, there will be a great event for the harvesting of hops.”

In order for the pavilion will go up in time for the expo, it’s scheduled to be built in May 2015. France is one of 144 nations participating in World Expo 2015, which will run from May to October of next year.

In this exclusive video interview for HorizonTV, Fred Pierce, CEO of Pierce Education Properties, developer and manager of off-campus student residences, chats with Rob Cassidy, Editor, MULTIFAMILY Design + Construction about student housing during the pandemic and what to expect for on-campus and off-campus housing in Fall 2021 and into 2022.

A digital twin of Marishal Square in Scotland

Digital Twin | May 24, 2021

Digital twin’s value propositions for the built environment, explained

Ernst & Young’s white paper makes its cases for the technology’s myriad benefits.

Photo: Adohi Hall at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, designed by Boston-based Leers Weinzapfel Associates.

Wood | May 14, 2021

What's next for mass timber design?

An architect who has worked on some of the nation's largest and most significant mass timber construction projects shares his thoughts on the latest design trends and innovations in mass timber.

A rendering of the four-story Center for Community & Entrepreneurship in New York.

Cultural Facilities | Apr 1, 2021

A Connecticut firm deploys design to assist underserved people and communities

Hartford, Conn.-based JCJ Architecture traces its roots to 1936, when the U.S. was just coming out of an economic depression and its unemployment rate was still 14%. In 2021, with the country trying to recover economically from the impact of the coronavirus, and with questions about social inequity entering the public debate as rarely before, JCJ has focused its design work on projects and clients that are committed to social responsibility and advocacy, particularly for underserved or marginalized communities.