EXPO 2015 Padiglione Germania

Idea, concept and architecture of the German Pavilion at EXPO Milano 2015

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) and the selected consortium of Milla & Partner / Schmidhuber / Nüssli presented their approaches to content and the architectural design of the German Pavilion at a press conference in the Portalhaus at Messe Frankfurt today.

"The German Pavilion is very clearly orientated towards the theme of EXPO 2015 – Feeding the Planet – Energy for Life," said Dietmar Schmitz, Commissioner General of the German Pavilion and Head of the Division for Trade Fair Policy and EXPO Participation at the BMWi. "As a pioneer in the areas of environmental protection and the transition to the use of renewable energies, Germany is a proponent of progressive thinking and greater awareness of the forces of nature as important sources of our food. The pavilion will highlight the economic performance and expertise of our country in finding solutions," continued Schmitz. He added that the German government is particularly interested in presenting an overview of current research and opportunities as a package that will help to define a future. "EXPOs do not offer a short-term 'return on investment'. They are always an investment in the medium- and long-term future of a whole country," Schmitz emphasised.

The best teams from Germany formed consortia to develop ideas and possible designs for the German Pavilion in Milan. The quality and depth of preparation evident in the papers submitted showed a high degree of identification with the theme of EXPO 2015. "In the end, the specially assembled selection committee, which has extensive experience in the EXPO business had to make a decision," said Schmitz. He noted that the overall concept developed by the selected consortium of Milla & Partner / Schmidhuber / Nüssli is a thoroughly harmonious package, which communicates and elegantly interweaves the content and architecture through appropriate messages. Schmitz also expressed his sincere thanks to all those who participated in the selection process for their passionate commitment.

This is the second time that the three consortium partners have worked together on a project in this constellation. They previously designed the award-winning German pavilion "balancity", one of the most popular attractions at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai.

"The key features of the concept are that it abandons the usual pathways that guide visitors around the pavilion and closely interlinks the presentation of space and content," explained Lennart Wiechell from Schmidhuber. "With its open landscape level, which visitors are free to walk around and explore, the German Pavilion is not an example of representative architecture but rather a place for encounter and exchange and therefore the programmatic implementation of fields of ideas."

"We have not just reached an important milestone on the road to Milan," emphasises Wolfgang Marzin, CEO of Messe Frankfurt. "From today, the general public will also have a specific image in their minds when the German Pavilion at EXPO 2015 in Milan is mentioned." Messe Frankfurt is responsible for the organisation and operation of the German Pavilion at the World Exposition.

Both Schmitz and Marzin emphasised the long tradition of close commercial and cultural relationships between Germany and Italy. They highlighted the fact that EXPO 2015 will not only enrich the understanding between peoples but that it should also be seen as an opportunity for further economic development, which simultaneously sets new standards for a shared European future.

Peter Redlin from Milla & Partner believes actively involving visitors is the key to achieving these aims. "We want to communicate the themes of the exhibition in the German Pavilion in a fun and entertaining way. We want to motivate people to join in, inspire them to take matters into their own hands and thus make a contribution of their own towards fulfilling the EXPO motto."

Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi)

The Division for Trade Fair Policy and EXPO Participation at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) is responsible for the German pavilion at World Expositions. It is also in charge of the German government's foreign trade fair programme, which enables small and medium-sized companies to participate at these events under the umbrella brand "Made in Germany".

Through its constant dialogue with partners in business and industry, the Division for Trade Fair Policy and EXPO Participation at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology supports the export activities of German companies in international markets and also deals with important political questions arising in the area of domestic trade fairs.

More info via www.bmwi.de

Selected consortium

On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, Messe Frankfurt has entrusted the German Pavilion EXPO 2015 Milan Consortium (ARGE) with the realisation of the German pavilion. The ARGE, as general contractor, has taken on design planning and construction of the German Pavilion and the exhibition. The SCHMIDHUBER architectural office in Munich is responsible for the pavilion’s spatial concept, its architecture and general planning. Milla & Partner from Stuttgart is responsible for the content concept as well as the design of the exhibition and media. NÜSSLI DEUTSCHLAND from Roth (near Nuremberg) is responsible for project management and construction.

Messe Frankfurt

Messe Frankfurt has been commissioned to organise the German Pavilion at Expo Milan 2015 by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. It is the largest exhibition corporation in Germany with revenues of € 538* million and 1891* employees around the world. The group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries and around 50 international marketing partners giving it a presence in more than 150 countries for its customers. Events "made by Messe Frankfurt" take place in over 30 locations around the world. In 2012, Messe Frankfurt organised 109* trade fairs, more than half of which took place outside Germany.