Dome Pavilion Milan Expo 2015 / Studio Mosae

Architects: Studio Mosae
Area: 986 m²
Year: 2015
Photographs: Filippo Poli

Text description provided by the architects. The “madonnina” in Expo brings the centuries-old history of the construction of the Duomo, one of the greatest gothic cathedral in Europe, milan heritage for humanity, a symbol of christian devotion and commitment. Not only a christian symbol but a laic one too for the entire city of Milan, that represents all the cultures that make Milan alive.

Through the use of raw and laboured marble of candoglia, the typical white stone with pink streaks coming from Val d’Ossola which is the main material of the Milan Cathedral and through the metaphor of the water wall which refers to the water of “navigli” the canals along which the barges carried the mable for the construcion of the “Duomo”, the pavilion aims to be the expression of three words that tell a piece of history of our city:

CATHEDRAL – MILAN - SQUARE

Veneranda fabbrica del Duomo di Milano takes part in Expo 2015 by placing a copy of the famous image in the centre of the pavilion, and ideally in the centre of the world, giving visitors the opportunity to admire up close one of the most significant symbols of the city.

Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano is the historic organisation responsible for preservation and restoration of the Cathedral. It was established in 1387 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then Duke of the city, for design and construction of the Cathedral, and it has been operating for over six hundred years to ensure the preservation and architectural and artistic restoration of the Duomo, safeguarding and providing services for the Cathedral’s religious activity and promoting the extraordinary heritage of art, culture and history which belongs to and is expressed by the symbol of Milan, identifying the resources necessary for its maintenance.

The space dedicated to VFD pavilion is made of two episodes, the first one overlooking the decumanus as a square/ terraced steps wants to revive the roof of the cathedral and on the top there is the reproduction of the “Madonnina” 1:1 scale, the second one is a one-floor small pavilion where the thematic exposition takes place.

The theme of marble is dealed following the idea that sees the raw materials extracted from the quarry, transformed and transported through the “navigli” (old canals where the marble were transported to the cathedral) getting to Milan and being transformed by stonemasons in dreaming spiers, sculptures and columns. On the right side, in fact, you can find four big blocks of Candoglia marble and on the left side four clusters made of spiers, pieces of arc, finely carved capitals realized between the XVI and XIX century.

On the centre we can find the climb towards the reproduction of the “Madonnina”, 4.16 high, made of bronze and covered with gold leaf. By climbing, we can see the seven centuries of life of VFD etched in concrete as you do with the marble blocks, until today.

The second volume as a completion and integration of the pavilion is located behind the square. It’s a very neutral and clean volume that wants absolutely disappear but where we can find two photographic exhibitions that tell the story of the birth of the “Madonnina” placed on the Duomo and the history of the copy that you can visit in EXPO.