The Waterstone, Intesa Sanpaolo pavilion

The Waterstone is the pavilion built on the occasion of Expo Milano 2015, where Intesa Sanpaolo presented its services in an environment characterised by the themes of sustainable and responsible development. At the centre of the Expo, the bank has created a place for knowledge and entertainment, for investigation of the theme “Feeding the Planet”, for the banking service and for meetings with its customers and with visitors to the Universal Exposition. The iconic form is reminiscent of three large stones, between the connections of which flow four waterfalls. Internally the exposed wooden structure is inspired by the interior of a large barn, with the supporting structure consisting of nine arched portals positioned with a pitch of five metres and connected by wooden joists and rafters. The interior space is distributed over two levels. The ground floor is for use by the general public, with an innovative branch for the most up-to-date services and an artistic multimedia installation by Studio Azzurro representing the bank’s commitment in the cultural and social sphere. On the first floor there are spaces devoted to events and meetings with businesses. The external covering is formed by 6,600 white shingles arranged in orderly lines and distanced so as to create empty spaces through which the lighting filters. At night, a LED system creates a fascinating lighting design effect between the shingles.