Hundreds of recycled apple crates make up the Polish Pavilion at the 2015 Milan Expo

2022-01-15 10:02:12 By : Ms. Anddy Su

Built on a rectangular plot of 2,370 square meters, the Polish boxed building is the 2015 Expo’s fourth biggest pavilion. Its humble but evocative patterned exterior is a good magnet for visitors to explore Poland’s latest achievements in the agri-food sector, considered to be the country’s specialty.

But why apple crates? As one can easily learn, Poland is the European leader in apple production and the third greatest apple producer worldwide. The wooden packaging boxes commonly used for fruits and vegetables, and showcased here directly as the building cladding, references Poland’s achievements and records in the fruit’s production, safety and quality.

Besides the striking wooden facade, the pavilion offers an extraordinary interior experience too. Visitors, brought directly to the roof level through a tall and narrow entrance aperture, end up in an unforeseen bucolic open air orchard inspired by Mehoffer’s painting “Weird Garden”. Surrounded by mirrors on all four sides, this lush green plot appears visibly infinite. In this creative way the Warsaw architects have triggered associations with Polish agriculture, showcased a characteristic Polish landscape, and, at the same moment, reveals the country’s attitude toward sustainability issues, organic farming, food processing, biotechnology and environmental protection.

Related: Stunning green-roofed Autofamily House features a drive-thru art gallery in Poland

After the symbolic secret garden, visitors are led through a sequence of edifying rooms, a narrative on Poland’s food heritage. The 1,400 sq.m of exhibition space includes halls with multimedia installations, interactive playgrounds, a cinema, a shop and a restaurant.

This is the sixth time Poland is participating in a Universal Exposition. And since 2000, the country really counts among the most significant and attractive Expo participants, above all thanks to the original design and architectural and construction technology. Indeed, Poland brings home stellar statistics on the pavilion’s attendance, good appreciation ratings and numerous awards. So let’s see if this year’s Polish pavilion, with its rustic architectural concept selected from the 59 competition entries, will see an rise in visitors and gain more international recognition. So far, it’s doing really well.

Images via Maria Novozhilova for Inhabitat

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Thank you for interesting article. I was on site and have to tell that none of the crates has been ever used or utilized to transport apples or any other vegetables. The crates are new. Poland is not the only country which utilized EXPO to present sustainability, where is none. Over 90% of the transportation crates are used just for one trip and are being destroyed afterwards. Almost all of them are rated as One Way packaging and ends up on a landfill in neighboure countries

Poland is one of the world's largest exporter of apples, but what happens to all those crates when the harvest is done? Well, the Warsaw office of 2pm studio decided to use hundreds of recycled apple crates to build the Polish Pavilion at the Milan Expo 2015. Its exceptional façade is a great example of a humble and straightforward yet highly appealing design. But there's more to this pavilion than initially meets the eye.

Geometric and elegant facade of the Polish Pavilion at Expo Milan 2015.

The motto of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015: "Abbiate ogni speranza, voi che entrate!" ("Fill yourseves with all hope, ye who enter here.")

Sustainable and inspiring exterior of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015.

Detail of the Polish Pavilion facade at Expo 2015 in Milan.

Detail of the Polish Pavilion facade at Expo 2015 in Milan.

Wood design of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan.

Patterned exterior of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan.

Detail of the Polish Pavilion facade at Expo 2015 in Milan.

The entrance of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan.

The entrance aperture of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan.

Wow! How many apple crates did they use to clad the Polish Pavilion?

Green design of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015 made of apple crates.

The entrance gate of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan.

Stairs leading to the roof level of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan.

Polish Pavilion at the MIlan Expo.

Hidden roof garden of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015.

Serpentine walk in the apple garden of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015.

Bucolic open air orchard of the Polish Pavilion inspired by Mehoffer’s painting “Weird Garden”.

Art and plants at the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan.

The green roof of the Polish Pavilion is surrounded by mirrors on all four sides.

Optical illusion: the seemingly infinite roof garden of the Polish Pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan.

Green escape and apple orchard at the Polish Pavilion at World Expo 2015.

Lush greenery and mirrors on the top of the Polish Pavilion at the World Expo 2015.