Wood and grass are the main elements of the pavilion of the Country that wants to celebrate life.
Only the presentation in Milan lacks. And Alexander Gurianov, vice minister for Foreign affairs, together with Stefano Bianchi, ambassador in Italy of Belarus are ready. So as the project of pavilion for Expo 2015 that starts from a simple idea giving the name to the work: Wheel of Life and will be designed, built, kept and then dismantled at the end of the event by Stahlbau Pichler Srl, the company that won the contract launched by the national organizational committee.
Wood will be the main element of the project where a wheel stands out 30 metres high and reminds entirely and completely a mill. All around the green reminding to the landscape of Belarus and salt mines. Inside the facility, there will be liquid crystals displays, interactive monitors and spaces dedicated to meetings and conferences.
Wheel of Life
Architectural and designer's solution of the Pavilion of the Republic of Belarus at Expo 2015 Milano, Italy.
Authors :
- Igor Kozulkov
- Dmitry Belyakovich
- Alexander Shipilov
Wheel of Life Exposition Concept
At the heart of the graphic representation of the exposition area is the demonstration of the main natural resources of the Republic of Belarus.
- Our land gives us bread.
- Our land gives us salt.
- Our land is rich in clear water.
Bread, salt and water are three basic components providing people with energy for life and ideas.
The Spinning Wheel has become the picture of human thought and a significant focus of the whole exposition.
The way passes through the landscape area resembling a riverbed through which people go to the center of the exposition – Spinning Wheel of the Watermill, dominating 30 meters heavenwards.
Exposition becomes a living body and all the visitors are the participants of the ongoingmovement process.
The wheel construction is made from wood and perfectly fits to the Belarusian landscape where the fields with strawbales peacefully lie quietly at the beginning of the exposition.
The waterfall under the wheel blocks the way and suggests visiting the appropriate expositions left- and right-hand behind the glass wall whereby flows the water – the source of life.
One of the areas is dedicated to the main exposition idea. All exposition area is designed is made in the form of a mine with walls and ceiling covered by salt with unique healing qualities. Negatively charged ions favorably affect human body. It promotes for better perception of information. Displays and projection screens are interactive in this area. They are placed on the floor and on the constructions descending from the ceiling and are the basic sources of submission of information about the issues of food security in our country. Restricted areas and conference halls are located on the first floor.
The display area from another side of the road-riverbed is dedicated to the history, culture and traditions of our country. The space gives an opportunity to organize various thematic exhibitions during six months which will give an opportunity to present the culture life of our country to more visitors. Windows at the ceiling and wooden structural frame give this space some lightness and airiness and provide the better perception of the information. Interactive monitors and LCD displays are the additional sources of information of the general area of exposition.
Continuing movement through the riverbed, after the seeing of the basic thematic expositions, visitors come into the open seating area, where they have an opportunity to sit at the tables near the spring of potable water. Here the visitors can taste national Belarusian drinks and dishes.
Climbing the green hill where the strawbales are, the visitors can cose themselves and get to know some Belarusian music, songs and dances.
Everything speaks of the Belarusian hospitality and provides for the rest and lovely acquaintance!
During the developing of the exposition concept the basic requirements of the organizers were taken into account: Impressions of visitors.
So the concept «Wheel of life» links its idea with the topic of EXPO 2015: “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” resting on visitors’ interests, innovations and development of communications, simplicity of realization.
Organic architecture and ecological construction become the basic criteria in selection of materials used for construction of the Pavilion: wood, glass and top soil and correspond to the principals of sustainable development made by the organizers of the exposition.
The exposition symbol is the stylish wheel ‘Wheel of life” which can be used as a graphical element - in the advertising materials and souvenirs.
The Concept “Wheel of life” reflects some cultural, historical and social peculiarities of the Republic of Belarus which will promote the creating some unforgettable impressions of the national exposition and become the key moment which will determine its success.
