The winning design for the Austrian pavilion of the 2015 Milan Expo has been announced. Following the Expo’s theme of “Energy for Life,” team.breathe.austria's winning proposal focuses on social change for environmental protection. The enclosed, rectangular pavilion will be planted with an abundance of native Austrian vegetation. Titled “breathe,” the project will produce enough oxygen to sustain 18,000 people by the hour and advocates for a healthier bond between the urban and natural environment.
This walled garden space will, with certain technical adjustments, create an Austrian microclimate at the Exposition. The interior will be cooled by the evapo-transpiration of the plants, and air-exchange will be partially facilitated by the foliage’s production of oxygen. As the architects state, “The result that is achieved differs significantly on a number of sensory levels from the air and climate in Milan and can thus actually be felt by visitors.” Electricity for the pavilion will come entirely from an attached photovoltaic system.
