#PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS
Slovenia's prefab wooden World Expo pavilion evokes the mountainous landscape of its homeland
This playful wooden pavilion consists of five prismatic structures, each representing Slovenia's diverse geographical landscape and approaches to sustainable development.
SoNo Arhitekti designed it in collaboration with Lumar lg, manufacturer of low-energy and passive prefab wooden buildings. The pavilion merges glass and wood into a structure that represents the country at the 2015 World Expo under the slogan "I FEEL SLOVENIA. Green. Active. Healthy."
Read more: Slovenia's prefab wooden pavilion evokes the mountainous landscape of its homeland | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
Slovenia is one of the most densely forested countries in Europe and with that in mind, the architects decided to use wood as one of their primary building materials. The series of pitched steel structures, clad in sustainable wood, is meant to represent the alternation of Alpine mountains, the Pannonian Plain and Mediterranean hills in the country’s landscape, but also maintain the connection to the Expo’s main theme by evoking the image of cultivated fields.
Visitors are greeted by five buckwheat grains, symbolizing the five senses of the national brand slogan “I Feel Slovenia.” The country’s diverse food production is presented through five main themes: salt pans, bees, thermal and mineral waters, hiking and cycling, and the measurement of black carbon particles.
The results of a project entitled “Adventure for Science,” which focused on black carbon measurements gathered by pilot Matevž Lenarčič flying an innovative high-tech ultralight plane, is a special part of the exhibition. This segment shows the data collected during a flight spanning 91,000 kilometers and crossing all seven continents, three oceans and 60 countries in 369 hours.