The UK Pavilion has been awarded the BIE Gold Award for Architecture and Landscape at the 2015 Milan Expo.
The announcement was made during a packed ceremony on 30th October - the eve of the concluding day of the 6 month international exhibition. During this period the Pavilion has welcomed 3.3 million visitors pitting it to be the top paid British attraction worldwide in 2015, and within the top ten UK attractions in 2015.
The UK Pavilion was designed by artist Wolfgang Buttress, engineers Simmonds Studio and architects BDP and built by contractor Stage One.
Responding to the Expo theme ‘feeding the planet’ the designers sought to highlight the plight of the honeybee, focussing attention on the importance of pollination in our food chain, by reinterpreting apiarian ecology as an immersive multi- sensory experience.
Buttress responded to the news saying: “I am very happy and honoured to have won this prestigious award; it is a fitting testament and acknowledgement of the dedication and professionalism of the whole of the team. If the project has raised awareness of the current plight of the bee then the effort has been worth it”
This honour has been bestowed on top of the five awards already achieved to date, including the Blueprint award for ‘Best Public Use Project with Public Funding’ and the Italian Association of Architects award for ‘Best Pavilion Architecture’.
Source: Wolfgang Buttress
