A Guided Tour Of The 2015 Milan Expo

With 145 countries participating in the 2015 Expo, alongside input from international organizations, corporate partners and an extensive program organized by the Expo itself, there’s a lot going on in Milan right now. So much so, in fact, that it can be a little overwhelming to get a handle on all the sights that are worth your attention.

To help you out, we’ve put together a guided tour of the key pavilions that are turning heads, including the defining vistas of the expo grounds, the displays that are worth your time and the oddities that might entertain. From the Expo’s defining icon, the 30-meter-tall Tree of Life, to the exhibition on architecture’s favorite consumable (that’s coffee), and all the national pavilions in between, the things you need to see are here. Whether you’re planning to visit the Expo and want a quick and dirty way to ensure you’ve covered the highlights, or whether you’re simply hoping to live vicariously through the internet, this tour is for you.

Our tour starts at the Expo’s South Entrance, on the center-left of the map below, and follows round the two key axes, the Cardo and the Decumano, to the left, eventually ending at the Slovenia pavilion close to where it began.

Map showing our route starting at the South Entrance (center left of the image). Click to view full size. Image via Milan Expo Website with additional annotations by ArchDaily

1. View of the “Cardo,” looking toward the Tree of Life from the South Entrance

2. View of the Decumano

3. The UK Pavilion / Wolfgang Buttress

Padiglione Regno Unito / British Pavilion #Expo2015 Ph D. Mascolo

A photo posted by Expo 2015 Milano (@expo2015milano) on May 6, 2015 at 3:02am PDT

4. UAE Pavilion / Foster + Partners

Buongiorno da #Expo2015! Vi aspettiamo anche oggi dalle 10 alle 23. Good morning from #Expo2015! Today we’re open from 10am to 11pm. Repost @tatifontes

A photo posted by Expo 2015 Milano (@expo2015milano) on May 4, 2015 at 1:07am PDT

5. The Coffee Cluster, one of eight pavilions themed around a specific food type

6. Vietnam Pavilion / Vo Trong Nghia

Vietnam Pavilion @expo2015milano #archilovers_timber #building_shotz #buildingames #ic_architecture #jj_architecture #lookingup_architecture #minimalmood #ptk_architecture #lovesdomus #jj_architecture #rustlord_archdesign #diagonal_symmetry #mindtheminimal #tv_architectural #jj_geometry #jj_minimalism #sky_high_architecture #ptk_minimal #deep_architecture #minimal_lookup #minimalexperience #rsa_minimal #art_chitecture_ #icu_architecture #arkiromantix #architectonics_world #instarchitects #minimal_shots #expo2015 #ig_milano

A photo posted by Mauro Fontana (@mauro.font) on May 7, 2015 at 9:59am PDT

7. Pavilion Zero, one of the Expo’s five thematic areas. Pavilion Zero is intended as an introduction to the theme of the Expo and the Expo grounds.

Mountain range media centre

A photo posted by Olly Wainwright (@ollywainwright) on May 1, 2015 at 1:36am PDT

8. Ireland Pavilion

Ireland Pavilion, Expo 2015, Milan, Italy #Expo2015 #Ireland #WorldsFair #architecture

A photo posted by ExpoMuseum.com (@expomuseum) on May 7, 2015 at 9:23am PDT

9. Bahrain Pavilion / Anne Holtrop + Anouk Vogel

10. Brazil Pavilion / Studio Arthur Casas + Atelier Marko Brajovic

#ArchDaily #architecture #YourArchDaily @archdaily @expo2015milano #Expo2015 #ExpoVoices

A video posted by Luis Martín Medina (@martin_medina) on May 7, 2015 at 11:30am PDT

11. South Korea Pavilion

12. Malaysia Pavilion

Malaysian space eggs!

A photo posted by Olly Wainwright (@ollywainwright) on May 1, 2015 at 4:26am PDT

13. Thailand Pavilion

14. Uruguay Pavilion

15. China Pavilion / Tsinghua University + Studio Link-Arc

#ArchDaily #architecture #YourArchDaily @archdaily @expo2015milano #Expo2015 #ExpoVoices

A video posted by Luis Martín Medina (@martin_medina) on May 7, 2015 at 11:33am PDT

16. Colombia Pavilion

Colombia Pavilion, Expo 2015, Milan, Italy #Expo2015 #Colombia #WorldsFair #architecture

A photo posted by ExpoMuseum.com (@expomuseum) on May 7, 2015 at 9:22am PDT

17. France Pavilion / X-TU

18. View along the green wall of the Israel Pavilion to the Palazzo Italia

Buongiorno da #Expo2015! Vi aspettiamo anche oggi dalle 10 alle 23. Good morning from #Expo2015! We’re open from 10am to 11pm. Repost @chiaradavolio

A photo posted by Expo 2015 Milano (@expo2015milano) on May 7, 2015 at 1:17am PDT

19. Palazzo Italia / Nemesis & Partners

#ArchDaily #architecture #YourArchDaily @archdaily @expo2015milano #Expo2015 #ExpoVoices #italy

A video posted by Luis Martín Medina (@martin_medina) on May 7, 2015 at 11:44am PDT

20. The Tree Of Life / Marco Balich

#alberodellavita#expo2015#milano#treeoflife#padiglioneitalia#flowers#italy

A photo posted by odioladomenicaquantoodiovoi (@alessiapeverelli) on May 7, 2015 at 11:16am PDT

21. Vanke Pavilion / Daniel Libeskind

#follow #me #iphone5 #instragram #expo2015 #maggio2015 #milano #solocosebelle #sole #foto #pic

A photo posted by Valentino (@valentino____mi) on May 7, 2015 at 10:46am PDT

22. View of the Vanke Pavilion with the Tree of Life in the background

Benvenuti a #Expo2015. Vi aspettiamo anche oggi dalle 10 alle 23! Welcome to #Expo2015. Today we’re open from 10am to 11pm! Repost @arnaudlost

A photo posted by Expo 2015 Milano (@expo2015milano) on May 3, 2015 at 1:36am PDT

23. Ecuador Pavilion

Padiglione Ecuador / Ecuador Pavilion #Expo2015 Repost @sara_bustan

A photo posted by Expo 2015 Milano (@expo2015milano) on May 5, 2015 at 5:04am PDT

24. Kuwait Pavilion / Italo Rota

#kuwait #expo2015 #expo #expomilano2015

A photo posted by Domenico Bertazzo (@domenicobertazzo) on May 7, 2015 at 11:43am PDT

25. USA Pavilion / Biber Architects

Our #verticalfarm, flowing like “amber waves of grain.” T-1 day until we open the doors to @usapavilion2015 at @expo2015milano. (Video by @ms_dianaperez)

A video posted by USA Pavilion 2015 (@usapavilion2015) on Apr 30, 2015 at 1:07am PDT

26. Japan Pavilion

27. Slovakia Pavilion / Karol Kállay

Padiglione Slovacchia / Slovakia Pavilion #Expo2015 Repost @robyvalens

A photo posted by Expo 2015 Milano (@expo2015milano) on May 5, 2015 at 10:02am PDT

28. Russia Pavilion / speech