‘The big challenge, is to understand how the relationship between food and people will advance in the coming years,’ explains WDCD14 speaker Carlo Ratti, of his task as curator of the Future Food District pavilion of Milans’ 2014 World Expo.
At the heart of Expo 2015’s theme of ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’, the Future Food District (FFD) will provide visitors with the opportunity to explore how production, distribution preparation and consumption of food are evolving. Ratti, a director of the MIT Senseable City Lab, is no stranger to the impact of technology on urban life, and promises that FFD will explore a new level of connectivity in our interaction with food.
Supermarket of the Future
Architecturally, the FFD aims to be as impressive as its concept. The proposal outlines two 2500m2 pavilions surrounding a 4500m2 public piazza. In the FFD Supermarket, new technologies will be showcased in a large-fully automated warehouse, equipped with interactive stalls, motion sensors and digital screens, all of which create new interactions between consumers, products and producers.
To understand better the state of food production as it is today – and how it’s affecting our planet, in real time – take a look at this visualisation, titled ‘Impact of our Consumption’.
Urban Algae Canopy
On top of everything (quite literally) Ratti’s FFD pavilions will be adorned by the world’s first bio-digital micro-algae canopy. Designed by Cesare Griffa and ecoLogicStudio, the façade and canopy being developed for the FFD rely on the exceptional properties of micro-algae organisms, which are ten times more efficient at photosynthesizing than most large trees and grasses.
The Urban Algae Canopy will produce the oxygen equivalent of four hectares of woodland and up to 150kg of biomass per day, 60% of which are natural vegetal proteins. Two full scale prototypes have already been previewed as part of INTERNI’s Exhibition-Event ‘Feeding New Ideas for the City’ during Milan Design week last month.
What Design Can Do for Food
Get your chance to discuss the future of food with Carlo Ratti himself at What Design Can Do on 8 May, during the WDCD Academy Series breakout session The Future of Food.
In this video Carlo Ratti talks about his plans for the Future Food District.
The image above is a detail of the Urban Algae Canopy.