UK Pavilion Milan Expo 2015 Design Competition

Shortlist

Shortlisted design concepts revealed for the UK Pavilion at Milan Expo 2015 and jury announced

17/04/2014

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) today revealed images showing the shortlisted concepts submitted by the eight teams vying to win the design competition for the UK Pavilion at Milan Expo 2015. The jury was also announced.

The finalists’ concepts, which are listed anonymously due to EU procurement rules, are now online.

Sharp-eyed design experts may enjoy guessing which teams (announced last month) have authored which schemes.

Hannah Corbett, the UK Commissioner General and Project Director said:

‘I am excited by the quality of these ideas. The creative sector has truly risen to the challenge of designing a world-class UK pavilion that builds on the incredible success of our presence in Shanghai. It’s clear from the quality of the shortlisted ideas that the UK will have an extraordinary presence at Milan Expo 2015.’

‘Our theme for Milan is Grown in Britain: Shared Globally. We plan to use the international platform provided by the Universal Expo to send a powerful message of UK excellence, and”of how British innovation and leadership is helping meet the challenge of feeding the planet.’

Malcolm Reading, architect and Competition Organiser said:

‘This competition has run to an ambitious timescale and the finalists have responded admirably.

‘Designing a pavilion is a unique challenge: the structure needs to say it all in a glance yet continue to intrigue over the life of the Expo. These are high-calibre teams who have produced a diverse and sparkling set of propositions and we’re looking forward to their jury presentations.’

UKTI also announced today that the jury will be made up of the following members:

  • Andrew Summers CMG (Chair), former Chief Executive of the Design Council and current Chairman of Westminster Business School.
  • Moira Gemmill, Director of Design and FuturePlan at the V&A Museum
  • Roddy Langmuir, Senior Director of Cullinan Studio and chair of design review for Architecture and Design Scotland
  • Tom Aikens, Michelin star winning chef, author and restaurateur
  • Melanie Leech, Director General of the Food and Drink Federation
  • Michael Lynch OBE, UK Business Ambassador and Partner of Invoke Capital
  • Lord Puttnam, Labour Peer, film producer and UK Trade Envoy to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos
  • Hannah Corbett, UK Commissioner General and Director, UK Pavilion Milan Expo 2015

Additionally, the jury will be advised by Christine Losecaat, Creative & Programme Director for the UK Pavilion Milan Expo 2015, John Foy, construction manager at UK Shared Business Services and Malcolm Reading, architect and competition organiser.

The eight finalist teams will present their ideas and concept designs to the competition Jury on May 1 and the winner is expected to be announced later in the month.

In alphabetical order, the finalist team leads are: AL_A, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris and Studio Myerscough, Asif Khan, Barber & Osgerby, David Kohn Architects, Grant Associates, Paul Cocksedge Studio, Wolfgang Buttress Studio.

The Pavilion will showcase Britain’s contribution in research, innovation and entrepreneurship to the global challenges addressed by the Expo theme ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’. The British theme for the project is ‘Grown in Britain: Shared Globally’.

Twenty million visitors are expected to visit the six-month Expo in Italy, with more accessing the experiences and excitement online.

For media enquiries please contact Laurel Smithson on +44 (0)207 215 5989 or via email at [email protected]

For further information on the project please contact Jayne Broomhall on +44 (0)207 831 2998 or via email at [email protected]