mardi 1 juillet 2014

Expo Green: the Landscapes of Expo 2015 Milano...


The landscape of Expo Milano 2015 will create a network of green spaces and places that can be used to transform and define the territory. Over 200,000 square meters inside of the largest construction site in Europe, which extends to Rho Pero for an additional 1.1 million square meters, will be devoted to landscaping projects: 12,000 trees, some of which will reach heights of 10-12 meters, 85,300 shrubs, 107,600 aquatic plants and 151,700 wild plants are just a sampling of numbers included in this grand landscaping plan.

"The commitment we have given to the development of a landscape project of this magnitude and complexity has made possible the creation of an extraordinary professional team made up of experts, researchers, architects and horticulturalists- said Giuseppe Sala, Sole Commissioner of the Government for Expo Milano 2015 - and it is absolutely in harmony with the theme of the Universal Exposition, Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. The big "green lung" that we are building will contribute to the improvement of the microclimate, enhance the landscape and increase biodiversity by helping to make visiting the Universal Exhibition an unforgettable experience at the for the public."

The landscaping project is centered on "different degrees of naturalness. The green areas are not just a side note, but the main feature, a story within the story, "says Benedict Selleri, doctor of forest science, landscape designer and team leader for Expo Green.


The objective of this major project is to tell the story of different landscapes that characterize the natural territory and Italian agriculture and are making up a green filter between the exhibition space and the outside. There is the green outer ring (an area of 80,000 square meters) consisting of a wooded strip that will define the perimeter of the site; inside of the exhibition island there will be other types of greenery  representing  three different variations  of characteristic of more urban landscapes, including the Hortus (8 gardens - with pergolas and seats - for visitors’ to relax within an area of 27,000 square meters), the Large Piazzas  (3 large open spaces - the West Entrance where there will also be a Butterfly Garden, Waterways Gate, Piazza of the Lake  - located at strategic points of entry to the site), the Small Piazzas (25 smaller open spaces,  of various shapes, located near service areas and dining options, each named for a tree species that characterizes the space, for example, Piazza of Pears, Lime Trees, Mulberry Trees, Oaks, Sycamores and White Poplars ); the Mediterranean Hill  offers terraces and paths populated  by olive groves, citrus, mixed oaks and grapevines. Approximately 90 percent of the trees will be grown and transported by air pot, a  reusable vase  made of a special recyclable plastic that  actively increases the quality of the root systems of plants by eliminating  root binding: thus reducing  the growing time on the nursery, optimizing the transplantation phase and the health of the plants.

After a preliminary phase developed in-house by the team of Expo 2015 S.p.A., the landscaping project was curated by Benedetto Selleri of PAN Associates along with Franco Zagari for the design of the Hortus project with the overall coordination by Metropolitana Milanese.  Managing these numbers, also from the organizational point of view of the Expo, is "an absolute innovation. Each plant - says Selleri - is associated with a number and a precise place. The director of the construction site can then determine which plants go where and be able to transplant the vegetation whenever ready. We started months ago and will continue to work until the Exhibition begins."


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