Germany and the Fields of Ideas

When speaking about the German pavilion at Expo Milano 2015, it is certainly not the case of mentioning the usual, useless commonplaces on the precision and punctiliousness of the Germans. However, one needs to highlight something: among the countries participating in the World Fair, Germany is certainly among those that have interpreted the main theme “feeding the planet, energy for life”, with more attention and precision. And during a visit, you’ll get this element more or less immediately.

Right from its design, the Pavilion is inspired by sustainability, giving up on the idea of raising a grandiose building: using architectural language, they have tried to interpret the German landscape, with is fields and meadows, from an aerial view. Stylised trees have been inserted in this landscape, “seeds of ideas”, that start from the ground floor of the exhibition area and then appear and tower above the roof, opening up with large leaves. Just like real leaves, these membranes are a source of energy for the Pavilion: they are in fact equipped with very thing solar panels, one of the avantgarde technologies produced in Germany, which supply the necessary electricity to light up the structure in the evening.

You can reach the outdoor space of the Pavilion without any queues, and can thus walk on the large terrace, sit comfortably in the nice amphitheatre for one of the scheduled shows. Inside, the show is divided onto two floors. At first, visitors are taken on a journey through the basic elements of nature, such as earth, water and air, and they are presented many projects that aim at safeguarding and using these natural resources in a better way, contributing to food and environmental safety in the future. An equal attention is paid to the theme of biodiversity, which must also be safeguarded and defended.

These statements are interpreted with a strong focus on interactivity, getting the visitors directly involved. Among other things, they are handed a small cardboard called SeedBoard at the entrance. At first glance, it appears to be just a piece of cardboard. In fact it is a surprising tool, which placed under some sensors, shows menus through which one can access lots of video and text content and games.

The space dedicated to the “Fields of Ideas” on the top floor is also very interesting: starting from the various urban landscape projects, such as the Prinzessinnengarten in Berlin or the Andernach edible town, visitors are invited to reflect on the importance of agriculture in an urban context too, and to become aware of the food we consume and the value of sharing.

The ambassadors of the German Pavilion also stand out among most other participants at Expo Milano 2015. There are no famous names, there’s no space for worldliness. Among them, instead, we find footballer Benjamin Adrion: he’s never been a champion as a player, but he’s now the founder of Viva con Agua, a network fighting to improve the water supply systems in developing countries. Farmer Josef Braun, who’s committed in a more sustainable management of agricultural soil. Chef Michael Schieferstein, who with Foodfighters, which he created, wants to present a new relationship with food, bringing back the attention on the issue of food waste.

It’s also worth spending a few words on the restaurant offer in the pavilion, which is divided into two spaces. There’s a gourmet restaurant, called Symphonie, in which some of the best German chefs present a different menu every week, only using seasonal products. This week, for instance, is dedicated to the region of Thuringia, and the guests are Marcello Fabbri, of restaurant Anna Amalia in Weimar, and Maria Groß, of restaurant Clara in Erfurt. Both hold a Michelin star on their uniform. For faster and sportier lunches or breaks, there’s a larger and more informal restaurant offering German cuisine classics.