A pop-up field in the centre of the city
Francesco Gusella

A pop-up field in the centre of the city

A4A Rivolta Savioni architetti as Architects

Over 1,500 man-sized sheaves of corn for the field that shot up overnight at the end of July, in the heart of Milan, opposite the Sforza Castle, between the two Expo Gate pavilions. quantomais, the project devised and produced by A4A Rivolta Savioni Architetti, on an invitation from Expo Gate's artistic curator Caroline Corbetta, will be part of the city for the entire month of August. quantomais is an unusual pop-up conception, an innovative example of urban geometry next to one of the city’s landmarks, the Sforza Castle, at the entrance to the Expo 2015. Inspired by the theme of the event - Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life - the field catches the eye of locals and visitors for its significance and spectacular nature. Conspicuously alienating, it undermines perspectives, presenting a different perception of the urban spaces in which people live and meet. This agricultural passage transforms places and habits into a new experience to be shared: a living space in which meetings, artistic interludes, appointments and minor rituals unobtrusively accompany residents and passers-by. For the entire month of August. Conceived as an urban installation, quantomais progresses into a collective multi-disciplinary work bringing together institutions, architects, farmers, companies, technicians, artists, poets and educators with a common goal: to create a green and hospitable area in the city, a place waiting to be cultivated, in more than one sense of the word, a stage for social relations and culture. And not just a question of agriculture. quantomais in Expo Gate is a sneak preview of a work which the A4A Rivolta Savioni Architetti studio will create on a larger urban scale for the duration of Expo 2015. The life of an urban mobile field Planted in the first decade of June and cultivated on a farmstead close to Milan, the corn will be moved into the centre of the city overnight at the end of July. The next day it will be a field of mature corn: 360 square metres on the Expo Gate square right opposite the Sforza Castle, where it will continue to grow for the entire month of August.


Inside the plantation there are areas which will be used for performances, readings and improvisations as well as for cultivating vegetables and seasonal plants. At the end of August the field will be dismantled into the original 231 sections (beds measuring 80 x 120 x h50 cm) which will be redistributed into small city plots for local green areas, schools, universities and public areas (see the adoption tender at www.quantomais.org). Expo 2015 The installation will happen just as Milan is getting ready for the big Expo 2015 event which, from 1st May to 31st October next year, will highlight a theme of universal interest: nourishing Man and the Planet. The choice of corn sparks reflection on one of the Expo 2015’s Clusters “Cereals and Tubers: Old and New Crops”, basic foodstuffs for a large part of the world’s population. But above and beyond the inspiring principle, and the evocative suggestion of a field of corn, A4A’s choice is functional to the installation for its aesthetic, visual and spatial impact.


Project Spotlight
Product Spotlight
News
Snøhetta designs new extension for the world’s oldest ski museum in Oslo
28 Mar 2024 News
Snøhetta designs new extension for the world’s oldest ski museum in Oslo

Global transdisciplinary architecture and design practice Snøhetta has designed a new entranc... More

10 public buildings that demonstrate architectural applications of precast concrete
27 Mar 2024 Specification
10 public buildings that demonstrate architectural applications of precast concrete

Precast concrete is made by casting concrete in a reusable mold. These molds are made of various mat... More

Sameep Padora and Associates creates a flowing, organic art center in southern India
26 Mar 2024 News
Sameep Padora & Associates creates a flowing, organic art center in southern India

Mumbai-based Sameep Padora & Associates (sP+a) has completed Hampi Art Labs in Toranagallu, a vi... More

Introducing Partner Thermory AS
26 Mar 2024 Partner News
Introducing Partner Thermory AS

Thermory AS offers a diverse product range that includes durable exterior cladding, decking, interio... More

Brooklyn Tower by ShOP Architects showcases a unique materiality
25 Mar 2024 News
Brooklyn Tower by ShOP Architects showcases a unique materiality

Brooklyn Tower, standing an impressive ninety-three stories tall with a unique neo-deco crown, is al... More

Doriana Fuksas, Martin Lesjak, Li Xiang and Steven Wright join Archello Awards 2024 jury
25 Mar 2024 Archello Awards
Doriana Fuksas, Martin Lesjak, Li Xiang and Steven Wright join Archello Awards 2024 jury

Doriana Fuksas, Martin Lesjak, Li Xiang and Steven Wright have been announced as Archello Awards 202... More

Vurpas Architectes converts former brick and concrete market into light-filled primary school in Lyon
22 Mar 2024 News
Vurpas Architectes converts former brick and concrete market into light-filled primary school in Lyon

The Eugénie Brazier school project in Lyon, France, undertaken by regional architecture studi... More

Detail: Pleated facade geometry of Bonfiglioli HQ by Peter Pichler Architecture
21 Mar 2024 Detail
Detail: Pleated facade geometry of Bonfiglioli HQ by Peter Pichler Architecture

Designed by Peter Pichler Architecture, the new Bonfiglioli Headquarters is located in Calderara di... More