The design of the pavilion for Expo 2015 will emerge from a tender process

Prague - The design of the Czech pavilion for the World Expo 2015 in Milan will be decided based on a tender that will take place in June. A project from the legacy of architect Jan Kaplický will also have a chance. The government decided on participation in the Expo with the theme Food for the Planet, Energy for Life on February 27. This was stated today to journalists by Jiří František Potužník, the general commissioner for the Czech Republic's participation in Expo 2015.
     The condition for agreeing to the event with a budget of 260 million crowns was, for the first time, the involvement of the private sector in co-financing. "We are currently looking for a legal framework for the tender, we are recording strong interest from the private sector as well as from institutions such as universities," Potužník stated. He added that the total contributions from the private sector and other partners could amount to around 50 million crowns.
     The government has promised to allocate 60 million crowns of the total cost of 260 million crowns, 70 million crowns remained as the economic result from Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, and 80 million crowns will be obtained by the Expo 2015 project from ministries, regions, and the city of Prague. The project is divided into three phases to allow for a halt with minimal economic impacts.
     Media reports have already indicated that the Czech pavilion at the Expo may take the form of Kaplický's unrealized National Library building or resemble the Čapí hnízdo farm of entrepreneur Andrej Babiš. "For now, it is about gathering information on what the pavilion will look like; it will be clear after the tender," emphasized Potužník. He admitted that he has already discussed, among other things, with the widow of architect Kaplický, Eliška.
     The winner of the tender should be the executor of the pavilion, and the Czech participation will only rent the building from them. Even after the end of Expo in October 2015, the building should continue to be used. According to Potužník, a potential investor would thus gain both the building and its reputation.
     The exhibition area of Expo 2015 is located in the northwestern part of Milan, covering an area of 1.1 million square meters, of which 200,000 square meters will be occupied by the pavilion area.
     Potužník confirmed that 80 percent of the spaces for pavilions are already reserved. The Czech side has not yet selected a location. However, more than 20 percent of the area may be available, as some interested parties may withdraw from preliminary agreements.
     At the last Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the Czech pavilion received a silver medal for the most creative exhibition. The pavilion remained in China. It was purchased for 33 million crowns by the Farm of Czechoslovak-Chinese Friendship. The budget for participation in the Expo was approximately 470 million crowns after reductions.