“Solar Flower” – the key element of the Pavilion – is a triple mirror cube which surface consists of thousands of facets, installed on a top of sloped metal stalk over the top of the transparent glass cube. A mirror system installed on the each corner of the glass cube follows the movement of sun all day long and reflect the sunbeam upon a rotating mirror cube, creating an effect of myriad spots of light spinning around all over the space.
Taking advantage of the transparency of the pavilion architecture, the effect will be observed on the walls inside and far outside of the building making every passing pedestrian being a visitor of the pavilion. The mirror installation will be also equipped with the solar batteries so the energy will be saved for the night.
The transparency of the building and the sun-effect clearly talks about global social concerns, environmental heritage, openness, and equality.
The sunbeam reflections all over the space make a paradigm shift: it’s time to rethink the use of conventional energies and concentrate on new pure energy with no environmental harm, preserving the natural resources and demonopolisation of the power-energy. It’s also a mythological reference to Prometheus, who stole the fire power from gods and gave it to humans, bringing enlightenment and intelligence to all the people.
The long corridor sheltered with real green plants that goes through transparent glass cube reflects attention of the architects about the environment, nature, human beings and invites audience into a bio-zone of Moldovan farming and agriculture traditions, ecological food and its famous wine which are not yet well known in the western world and to encourage visitors to get in line and be curious about what the pavilion has to tell more.
Coming inside the first thing what audience encounters is a special planetarium – a series of twelve constellation made of neon on black plastic which according to Pavel Braila “these constellations are not known by the world and can only be seen from Moldova”. The constellation of Bride, Plowman, Grape, Cheese, Stork, Jaws... First people who navigated the oceans were using stars to guide them and to discover new lands, here the stars are guiding the public to discover the country which some people from the audience never heard of.
Shine The Light, Moldova Pavilion, Expo Milano 2015
Architects: Gorgona Architecture & Design
Artist: Pavel Braila
Commissar: Valeriu Lazăr, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova and Minister of Economy of the Republic of Moldova
Vice Commisar: Dona Scola, Director MIEPO
Completion: 2015