Expo Doors. A project by Italo Rota with Francesca Grassi, made by Sal Cord and OneEightyOne.
Cortile d'Onore - Università degli Studi di Milano
Italo Rota. Ph. Massimo Sestini
Expo Doors evokes a part of the design of the Italian Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai, designed by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and Italo Rota Building Office, with Matteo Gatto & Associati and F&M Ingegneria. It is the “fragment of an installation”, conceived by Italo Rota with Francesca Grassi, consisting of ropes and luminous writing that, in their entirety, seek to represent figuratively the system of connections between Italy and the world. It represents the ideal entry into a universe of values and materials. A work of art as well as architecture, the archetype of the door is ideally positioned in correspondence with the Hall of the Aula Magna of the University, to symbolize physical entry into a place of culture and a metaphorical entry into the Universal Exposition. The Milan installation responds to the principles of circular economy and recyclability of materials: those on which the construction of the building for Expo is based. The nautical ropes that make up the facade of the work in the Interni exhibition are derived from 100% recycled plastic and LED strips, symbolizing the vitality of light and the messages it carries. The rope refers to the theme of shipping and the docking of boats, becoming part of a story that extends from the Mediterranean, Mare Nostrum, to the world. The “animated” peaks represent the instrument of connection, between spaces, peoples, individuals and ideas. “We have brought an allegory of the Pavilion to Milan to entice and stimulate people to go to Dubai and visit the Expo,” explains Francesca Grassi, “but in the same way we wanted to create a living and physical connection that will enable those who visit Interni Creative Connections to be present in spirit at the Universal Exposition.”
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