Expo 2015

EXPO Milan 2015

official logo
Overview
BIE-class Universal exposition
Category International Registered Exhibition
Name Expo Milano 2015
Motto Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life
Area 200 hectares (490 acres)
Visitors expected 20,000,000
Participant(s)
Countries 145
Organizations 16
Business 5
Location
Country Italy
City Milan
Venue Milan Roserio-Rho
Coordinates 45°31′7.2″N 9°6′24″E / 45.518667°N 9.10667°E
Timeline
Awarded March 31, 2008
Opening May 1, 2015
Closure October 31, 2015
Universal expositions
Previous Expo 2010 in Shanghai
Next Expo 2020 in Dubai
Specialized expositions
Previous Expo 2012 in Yeosu
Next Expo 2017 in Astana
Horticultural expositions
Previous Floriade 2012 in Venlo
Next Expo 2016 in Antalya
Internet
Website expo2015.org

Expo 2015 is the current Universal Exposition being hosted by Milan, Italy. The opening took place on 1 May 2015 at 10:00 am and the expo will close on 31 October 2015.[1][2] This is the second time Milan hosts the exposition, the first being the Milan International of 1906. On November 23, 2010, the event was officially announced by the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE).[3] The BIE General Assembly in Paris decided in favour of the Milanese candidature on March 31, 2008.[4] Expo 2015 will be held under the theme Feeding the planet, energy for life.[5][6][7][8]

Theme

The theme chosen for the 2015 Milan Universal Exposition is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. This embraces technology, innovation, culture, traditions and creativity and how they relate to food and diet. Expo 2015 will further develop themes introduced in earlier Expos (e.g., water at Expo 2008 in Zaragoza) in the light of new global scenarios and emerging issues, with a principal focus on the right to healthy, secure and sufficient food for all the world’s inhabitants.

The concerns of many futurologists about the quality of food in the years to come are compounded by forecasts of increasing uncertainties regarding the quantities of food that will be available globally. These concerns, expressed early on in studies by MIT for the Club of Rome, were largely ignored at a time when it appeared that increases in resource availability would outstrip increases in consumption. However, the rapid depletion of agricultural surpluses has clearly manifested the urgency of the problem of how to Feed the Planet and prevent hunger.

Seven subthemes

There are seven proposed sub-themes:[9]

  • Science for Food Safety, Security and Quality
  • Innovation in the Agro Food Supply Chain
  • Technology for Agriculture and Biodiversity
  • Dietary Education
  • Solidarity and Cooperation on Food
  • Food for Better Lifestyles
  • Food in the World’s Cultures and Ethnic Groups

Bid history

On 30 October 2006, during the session of the General Assembly of member countries of the BIE, held at their headquarters in Paris, Kazakhstan announced its intention to participate in the bidding process to host the World Exhibition at Milan in 2015. The winning candidate was selected by the BIE on 31 March 2008 in Paris.

Candidate cities

The following cities bid to host Expo 2015:

City Country Theme Votes
Milan Italy Italy Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life 86
Izmir Turkey Turkey New routes to a better world / Health for all 65

Cities that did not actually bid

The following cities had considered bidding to host Expo 2015:

City Country
Atlanta United States USA
Las Vegas United States USA
New York City United States USA
Moscow Russia Russia

Site

The Expo Gate in Piazza Castello in Milan

The area occupied by the Expo 2015 site is located about 15 km (about 10 miles) northwest of Milan in the municipalities of Rho and Pero, and covers an area of 1.1 km2 (0.42 sq mi). It is adjacent to the new Fiera Milano fairgrounds, designed by Massimiliano Fuksas, whose project may be considered the cornerstone of the urban redevelopment of the entire area. The zone had long been an industrial area before being converted to logistical and municipal services and agriculture. The fairgrounds and the Expo site will be connected by a pedestrian bridge adjacent to the Rho-Pero high-speed rail station.The cycle paths originally planned have never been initiated and it is impossible to arrive by bicycle. Several motorways have been built or expanded to allow access to the site.

The genesis of the Expo plan was a complex process, which may be divided into three different phases:

  1. Initial plan
  2. Concept plan
  3. Master plan

The chosen area is oblong in shape with an overall length of nearly 3 km (1.9 mi), immediately suggesting the idea of a main axis conceived as a boulevard along which the pavilions would be located. The design of pools and waterways in and around the Expo area has been an element of primary importance in the three phases.

Initial plan

Expo 2015 bid logo

The initial plan was characterized by the following principal elements:

A services area was planned near the main Expo site covering some 100 hectares and outfitted with hotels, parking facilities, stores, a convention centre, green areas and a business centre available for use by Expo participants, as well as a 12-hectare Expo village to house staff, volunteers, security personnel and administrative personnel.

Plans also called for the following thematic pavilions:

Concept plan

The EXPO 2015 logo in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan

The concept plan for the Expo 2015 site was presented on September 8, 2009. It was designed by a committee of four architects: Stefano Boeri, Richard Burdett, Mark Rylander and Jacques Herzog.

The main idea was to trace out within the area two distinct lines of demarcation, two avenues, a main avenue and a secondary avenue representing the ancient Roman layout comprising a cardo and a decumanus. The initial idea of a “classical” site composed of avenues and pavilions was replaced by the idea of a “light” Expo composed of exhibition areas arranged transversally with respect to the main boulevard. The exhibition areas are completely identical for each country and recreate the typical “food cycle” of each nation, from production to consumption. The centre of the avenue is occupied by a table in front of the country pavilions and extending for the entire length of the site. Here visitors would be able to sample the foods produced in the pavilion of each country. The entire area would be covered by large tent-like structures to convey the idea of a global marketplace.

A second idea was to build large bioclimatic greenhouses on the site to reproduce the earth’s principal environment types or biomes. These would function both as thematic pavilions and for the cultivation and production of basic foodstuffs used in the individual country pavilions. Each country would also be able to have a dedicated greenhouse within its specific exhibition area.

In this second version of the Expo site, water remained an important element but was shifted toward the exterior, no longer arranged in canals flowing through the pavilions, but as a large navigable canal surrounding the Expo site. A large lake was also included in the design.

Additional characteristic elements included:

Master plan

The final master plan for the Expo site was delivered to the BIE during the registration ceremony of Expo Milan 2015 in Paris on April 30, 2010.

The final plan that was submitted to the BIE for approval was coordinated by Stefano Boeri. Currently available information suggests that the plan does not contradict the main ideas of the concept plan while adapting to the more classic exhibition standards of events of this type:

Participants

Attendants to the Expo are expected to include over 140 countries plus a significant number of international organizations.

Country participation

As part of the reciprocity protocol with Expo 2010 of Shanghai, on December 8, 2008, China was the first country to formalize its participation in Expo Milan 2015. The first country out of the reciprocity protocol to confirm its participation was Switzerland on February 3, 2011.[10]

The following countries have confirmed participation:[11]

The United States government would not provide funding for a pavilion, but “Friends of the U.S. Pavilion Milano 2015” was created for this purpose.[102] In partnership with The James Beard Foundation and the International Culinary Center, and in association with the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, the Friends group is working for a vibrant U.S. presence at the Milan Expo. Its goal is to use state-of-the-art digital media and other novel approaches to showcase American leadership and innovation in global food security, agriculture, and cuisine and lay the seeds for enhanced trade and investment between the United States and Italy in this sector, so important to the cultural heritage of both nations.[108]

International organizations

Other organizations

[112]

Companies

  • China Vanke
  • FoodX of SOSVentures

Collaboration agreements

In preparation for the upcoming event, the City of Milan has signed numerous collaboration agreements with other cities in Italy and Europe in order to coordinate initiatives united by the common denominator of Expo 2015. These agreements focus principally on tourism, culture and infrastructure.

Agreements have also been signed with various countries around the world for the development of specific projects associated with food and education.

Partners

Official global partners

Official partners

Premium partners

Other partners

Media partners

Opposition

The opening of the Expo on 1 May 2015 was met with protest from anti-austerity activists, and anarchists caused criminal damage, resulting in the police using tear gas.[134]

Pope Francis condemned the Expo, saying that it "obeys the culture of waste and does not contribute to a model of equitable and sustainable development". Nonetheless, Vatican City invested €3 million to obtain its own pavilion at the event.[134]. Pope Francis, however was also critical of the Vatican own investment in the Expo which commenced before his appointment to the papacy. Pope Francis said that, although it is a good thing that the Church is involved in causes that battle hunger and promote cleaner energy, he stated that too much money was wasted on the Expo itself by Vatican City. [135]

See also

References

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  120. "Mc Donald's sponsor ufficiale Expo" (in Italian).
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  130. "San Pellegrino sarà l'acqua "ufficiale" di Expo 2015 e del Padiglione Italia" (in Italian).
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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Expo 2015.