4 March is a date for your diary, because it will see the official handover of the first pavilion to reach completion at the Milan Universal Expo.
The Chinese Vanke corporation was first to the finish-line after 10 months of work on a construction site where the Italian flag flew proudly and deservedly next to the Chinese flag, thanks to the Turin-based Bodino Engineering, which built the pavilion, and Casalgrande Padana, which supplied a futuristic porcelain tile shell, to translate Expo 2015's most complex architectural project into reality.
Drawn up by Daniel Libeskind, the project extends over an area of 1000 square metres, each of which explores the tenets of parametric architecture. The building work involved the use of over 140 tonnes of steel for the structural elements and about 4200 porcelain panels from the Fractile series, designed by the architect according to an exclusive three-dimensional matrix.
The ceramic pieces were installed using an innovative system specifically developed by Casalgrande Padana's Engineering Division, which made it possible not only to fix the panels but to orient them individually and overlay them according to the project requirements. The result is a spectacular solution that blazes an entirely new trail in the field of ceramic shell systems. It's no coincidence that the vermilion, fractal shell of the Vanke pavilion has already become a universally recognised landmark on the Expo 2015 campus.
But the surprises go beyond the exterior. The pavilion covers an extensive indoor area, where a free-form three-dimensional bamboo structure (incorporating about 8000 linear metres of bamboo canes) marks out the exhibition route, while at the same time providing an ethereal support for the 300 LCD screens installed there. These show visitors images and information about certain aspects of Chinese convivial tradition, through the Shitang (dining room), culinary customs and objects of current use, all critically interpreted through the new habits introduced by globalisation.
Within this showcase, certain privileged areas have been tiled with large-format porcelain tiles measuring 60x60 cm, specifically manufactured by Casalgrande Padana with a special surface finish that reprises the pattern designed by Libeskind for the shell. The end result is another monument to the creative flexibility of ceramic and the ability of Casalgrande Padana to interact with architecture, and bring all kinds of design concepts to life.
Inside the Vanke Pavillion, watch the slideshow on Corriere della Sera website