Open since May 1, this tightly packed world's fair of architectural hits and misses runs through October 31. UK Pavilion by Tristan Simmonds in collaboration with BDP and Stage One. The first world exposition, held in London in 1851, occupied Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace. But during the last century, expos (also called world's fairs) evolved into collections of national pavilions that competed for attention with novel and grandiose building designs. The Shanghai Expo in 2010 kicked off the “Asian century” with a show of architectural pyrotechnics that reportedly attracted 73 million visitors. The theme of Expo 2015 in Milan is

The Former President challenges architects to take on pressing global issues and "low-hanging fruit." Bill Clinton gives the opening keynote at the 2015 AIA convention in Atlanta. Former President Bill Clinton delivered a keynote address Thursday to kick off the American Institute of Architects’ annual national convention. The 42nd president of the United States—who after introductions bounced spryly onto the stage—addressed a crowd of approximately 7,000 architecture professionals in the Georgia World Expo Center in downtown Atlanta, touching on a number of daunting global issues including terrorism, inequality, and global warming. But, he said, with the challenges come opportunities.“There is

An innovative, conceptual approach aimed at tackling the challenges of world nutrition changes the role of 21st-century Universal Expositions. A model of the Italian Pavilion planned for Expo Milano 2015. After welcoming over 350,000 visitors, Milan’s Salone del Mobile closed its doors yesterday. As preparations for next year’s edition of the annual furniture fair are undoubtedly already underway, the city braces for an even bigger event in 2015 that is anticipated to bring 20 million pilgrims to the design capital over the course of six months. Related links Dispatch from Milan: Where Architects Live Dispatch from Milan: Designers Show Their

This article first appeared on GreenSource. Courtesy Dubai Expo 2020 Last Tuesday officials from Dubai declared they would transform the city into one of the most sustainable municipalities in the world by 2020. Although Dubai has expressed the aspiration before, namely as part of an initiative to expand parkland, this latest statement incorporates multiple kinds of environmental performance. Speaking locally at an event sponsored by the Dubai Chamber, city directors Hussain Nasser Lootah and Mohammad Mashroom laid out strategies for increasing solar production, capturing energy from waste, and mandating more rigorous green building. Dubai’s first photovoltaic plant went online in

Italy's pavilion will be designed by Nemesi Studio. The U.S. government, which has had a spotty record of participation in World Expos, is hoping to make a strong showing in Milan, where an eco-themed fair will open on May 1, 2015. In late July, the State Department issued a request for proposals for a U.S. pavilion, which would be privately funded and would occupy most of a 30,000-square-foot site. The U.S. would be joining some 130 other countries that have signaled their intentions to appear at the Expo. ("Registered" expos, sanctioned by the Paris-based Bureau of International Expositions, occur once

This article originally appeared in the Chinese edition of Architectural Record. The site of the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 is now being transformed into a sprawling, mixed-use district. Atlanta-based John Portman & Associates won a design competition in 2011 for a cluster of four hotels adjacent to the retail strip. The site where roughly 70 million people attended the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 is now being transformed into a sprawling, mixed-use district. Located along a stretch of the Huangpu River in Pudong, the redevelopment aims to turn the Expo's quixotic theme, "Better City, Better Life," into a built