At Expo Milano 2015, Israel will present the Fields of Tomorrow: a pavilion dedicated both to the tradition of the land of milk and honey and the ultimate technologies in sustainability, agriculture and nutrition.
In less then 70 years, hard work, research and development have transformed a mostly arid land into fertile terrain. Israel will showcase its commitment to shareing the results of expertise and research for a better future. Israel is a young country with a tradition of 3,000 years.
Designed by architect David Knafo, and realized by AVS - Avant Video Systems with 100% recyclable materials, the Israel pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 presents a vertical field planted with wheat, corn and rice. The pavilion is not just aesthetic - it introduces Vertical Planting, a revolutionary technology that conserves land and water resources.
The first part of the exhibition narrates the story and the lives of three generations of farmers who made the desert bloom. Through memories, images and videos, visitors discover the proactive stubbornness and commitment of the Israeli people but also their attitude towards hardship, spurring them to overcome challenges.
Another section of the exhibition focuses on the forests of the KKL-JNF, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund. With 240 million trees planted in the last 70 years, Israel is the only country in the world that has more trees today than 100 years ago. KKL-JNF also protects endangered ecosystems by storing seeds and developing seedling nurseries.
Visitors are then guided into a large dark room where light installations project a virtual field in the sky and videos focus on four cutting-edge stories. First is the re-creation of "super wheat" - the original grain of wheat that was cultivated in Biblical times over 3,000 years ago, before it underwent any mutation. The other innovations on display are the application of satellite and digital technology to field management, an Israeli irrigation project in Africa, and the ultimate zootechnics for a cow-milking factory in Asia.
The pavilion can be viewed from May 1 through October 31, 2015.
Architect David Knafo: "The Israel pavilion presents a planning approach in which architecture is a vehicle to promote sustainability, protection of natural resources and dedication to social prosperity for the future of mankind. Fields of Tomorrow is a demonstration of Israel's ability in many domains - the cultivation of rocky land, growth of vegetables in the desert, new methods of irrigation and improvement of seed quality.
The main element of the pavilion is a vertical field composed of modular tiles used for the cultivation of agricultural crops. Each of these tiles contains a computerized drip irrigation system to optimize the plants' growth conditions. Wheat, rice and corn, which are the main sources of vegetarian food, will be grown on the vertical field creating a mosaic of textures, smells and colors. The pavilion has been built with the most advanced green technology and will be recycled at the end of the exposition."