SoNo Arhitekti unveils prismatic Slovenia Pavilion for the 2015 World Expo

This pavilion architectural design cast one's mind back to the culture of Slovenia.

SoNo Arhiteki won the bid to design the Slovenian Pavilion for the 2015 Milan Expo. Inspired by the expo’s theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” SoNo Arhiteki based their sawtooth pavilion off the slogan “I FEEL SLOVENIA. Green. Active. Healthy.” The wood-clad geometric design is reminiscent of a cultivated field symbolic of the country’s diverse landscape.

The pavilion’s silhouette is defined by five prismatic structures clad in vertical strips of wood laid in a variety of directions to give the structure its dynamic appearance. Zigzagging panels of glass cover the lower pavilion’s lower portion to let in natural light and views of the surroundings. The landscape is designed in a similarly geometric manner and is broken up by sharp angled lines and openings, through which native Slovenian grasses grow.

Inside, the Slovenian pavilion will offer educational and interactive exhibits. The interior design also creatively pulls outdoor organic elements inside, such as with the its projection screen integrated into a living green wall and the suspension of over a dozen electronic screens that project images of the sky. “The importance of the World Exhibition in Milan is even greater for Slovenia, because of its immediate vicinity,” write the architects. “Italy is also the first in number of tourists in Slovenia, the second most important foreign trade partner of Slovenia and the third largest foreign investor in Slovenia.”