Discover China Pavilion EXPO Milano by Studio Link-Arc

EXPO Milano 2015 has opened its doors over the weekend, the first pavilion we get to see the closer look of is the China Pavilion. In charge of the design was Yichen Lu the principal of New York based architecture Studio Link-Arc who collaborated with Tsinghua University is Beijing. Yichen Lu has previously worked for renowned architecture practices such as Morphosis, Steven Holl and Gehry Partners.

“We intentionally didn’t design an attention-getting form. Instead, we highlighted the experience and quality of the space. For us, this is the most important part of the building” from architect Yichen Lu

Young but already award winning practice Studio Link-Arc based in NYC runs thanks to its 18 person staff, coming from eight countries around the globe. They are currently working in Europe, Asia and the United States.

Visitors enter the pavilion by descending into a planted field, which immerses them in a landscape removed from the bustling fairgrounds. This landscape is sheltered by a floating timber roof and integrates the China Pavilion seamlessly with its environment. The building’s materials are renewable, including a timber structure, bamboo roof panels, and wheat straw. The pavilion’s iconic roof reflects its theme, “the Land of Hope.” The designers created the roofline by merging the profile of a city skyline with the silhouette of a rolling landscape. It is an expression of hope that cities and nature can co-exist in harmony. The Pavilion’s design references traditional Chinese architecture but is built using advanced engineering and construction techniques. The large, airy interior public spaces are filled with sunlight. They contain a series of interactive exhibits, including a large video installation that uses thousands of LED lights to depict images of China. – from Studio Link-Arc

CLICK: Initial competition entry model of China Pavilion by Studio Link-Arc

For more of the pavilion continue after the jump: