Pentagram partner Michael Bierut’s graphics for the US pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 are a playful take on the American flag, an apt symbol for the overall theme of the expo: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.
Bierut’s identity for the US pavilion, titled “American Food 2.0, United to Feed the Planet”, replaces the flag’s stars with a plate, knife and fork.
The identity appears on a 9 x 12-meter billboard at the pavilion’s entrance. Functioning in the same way as a road sign, the massive flag helps the building stand out amongst others in its surroundings and is illuminated from the inside at night.
The eye-catching design was painted on walls of corrugated steel (sustainably sourced, of course) on either side of the pavilion for extra visibility.
The Expo Milano 2015 is a world fair that charges participating countries with exploring ways to produce healthy, safe and sustainable food for the globe’s population.
One of 147 participating countries, the US has focussed on innovations in the farm-to-table food model and sustainable production. Shaped like a barn, the pavilion features a vertical farm just under 2 200 sqm high that is planted with a variety of vegetables, grains and herbs.
The steel structure houses an exhibition, The Great American Foodscape, designed by Thinc and a rooftop terrace lined with energy-generating panels and a translucent floor that lets natural light fill the pavilion’s interior.
The Expo Milano is open until the 31 October 2015.
Watch the Trailer with Michael Bierut
