As part of the Milan Expo 2015, architecture firm Nemesi & Partners has unveiled its plans to adorn the Palazzo Italia with a facade that's both beautiful and pragmatic.
The pavilion will be covered in a facade resembling a petrified forest and is made from a special cement that can purify smog.
When the sun shines on the material, it captures specific pollutants and turns them into innocuous salts, effectively cleaning the air while still looking futuristic and slick.
80% of the facade is made from recycled material and it will stretch nearly 100,000 sq. ft., requiring roughly 2,200 tons of cement. The rest of the pavilian will also have special roof that generates solar energy during the day.
According to Nemesi & Partners, the project is "inspired by a natural architecture in which the branched weave of the external 'skin' of the building generates alternations of light and shadows and solids and voids, creating a scenario that refers to works of Land Art." The fact that the eco-friendly design looks like a tree out of Avatar only enhances the feeling.
The Palazzo Italia is set to be a permanent installation, even after the Milan Expo ends. The Expo opens in May of 2015 and ends in October of that year, giving the team plenty of time to perfect their awesome plan.
