ENEL Pavilion / Piuarch

Architects: Piuarch
Area: 900 m²
Year: 2015
Photographs: Andrea Martiradonna
Structures Design: FV Progetti
Visual Experience: To Do – h+ – (H) Films
Systems Design (Mep): ESA Engineering
Greenery Design: Cornelius Gavril
Quantities Measurement, Technical Specifications, and Safety: GAD Studio
Client: ENEL
Architect-in-Charge: Francesco Fresa, Germàn Fuenmayor, Gino Garbellini, Monica Tricario
Design Team: Gianni Mollo, Marco Dragoni, Davide Fascione, Enrico Pellegrini, Jenny Spagnolatti, Gianluca Iannotta, Alessandro Leanti, Santiago Trujillo, Anna Zauli
Systems Design Mep: ESA Engineering
City: Milan
Country: Italy

ENEL Pavilion, designed by Piuarch for Expo 2015, captures the concept of “energy sharing” through a virtual volume formed by a grid of 650 illuminated polycarbonate vectors. Spanning 900 sq.m. along the Decumano, the pavilion reflects ENEL’s smart energy grid with metallic elements that distribute electricity and data, creating a dynamic, wavy pattern. The visitor experience is interactive, with changing perspectives as one moves through the virtual forest of vectors, enhanced by light, sound, and Mediterranean gardens. An elevated walkway guides visitors through these spaces, underscoring sustainability themes with features like a printed glass roof, a nebulizer system, and ambient music. The control room, the pavilion’s operational hub, uses mirrored surfaces and interactive displays to explain the smart system, while glassed areas with variable transparency provide views of the virtual forest and terrace. The pavilion operates on energy from photovoltaic panels, highlighting its sustainable design.

In designing the ENEL Pavilion for Expo 2015, Piuarch aimed to convey the concept of “energy sharing” through architecture. Instead of a traditional “building-container,” they created a virtual volume formed by a grid supporting 650 polycarbonate vectors. These illuminated, ever-changing vertical elements define the pavilion’s overall shape, enclosing multiple internal volumes and green courtyards within.

The pavilion, spanning 900 sq.m. and facing the Decumano (the main east-west road), is based on the intelligent network developed by ENEL to power the Expo site. This foundational grid, visible on the ground, serves as the core conceptual and structural element of the pavilion. Made from metallic components that distribute electricity and data, the grid embodies the idea of energy sharing. It spreads across the floor in a wavy pattern, with polycarbonate vectors—clear tubes 150 mm in diameter and 5.3 to 7 meters tall—attached to it. These vectors represent the network’s nerve endings, creating a virtual forest illuminated by LED lights embedded in the grid.

Visitor interaction with the environment is central to the concept. The perception of the virtual volume constantly shifts depending on the visitor’s viewpoint and movement. As the vertical elements align, disalign, and overlap, they create a continuously evolving spatial experience. Light variations further enhance this kinetic effect, adding a dynamic quality to the pavilion.

The project introduces a playful element, inviting visitors to freely explore the “forest” and interact with the vectors through unexpected light and sound experiences. Greenery plays a significant role in enriching the atmosphere, with three densely wooded courtyards and surrounding areas filled with diverse plants and herbs typical of a Mediterranean garden. These vibrant and colorful blooms are designed to adapt to the changing seasons, enhancing the pavilion’s presence throughout the Expo.

A dynamic elevated walkway guides visitors through both the virtual and natural forests, highlighting sustainability as the core theme of the pavilion. This wooden path is sheltered by a printed glass roof that provides rain protection and shade. A nebulizer system enhances the experience, along with soft music that creates an evocative atmosphere. An interactive informational strip runs along the entire walkway, leading visitors deeper into the virtual forest.

The control room serves as the operational hub of the entire ecosystem, located within the virtual forest. This mirrored environment features films and interactive elements that help visitors understand how the intelligent system functions. Kinetic mirrored components within the control room echo the grid’s pattern, reinforcing the connection between the space and the overall network.

A second glass-enclosed area features a showroom and entertainment spaces, flanked by the virtual forest on one side and a terrace on the other. The glass surfaces are treated with varying degrees of transparency and reflection, creating a sense of lightness. The pavilion is powered by energy from photovoltaic panels installed on the structure, highlighting its sustainable design.