Connecting Life

  • Date: July 2024.
  • Typology: Competition 2nd Place.
  • Dimension: 150 m².
  • Location: Osaka, Japan.

As defined in the Guidelines of Expo 2025, the exhibition space of Montenegro will be in the Shared Pavilion Type C2 (Shared Pavilion Type CS-2), which is located on the allocated space E83 with a total area of 53m² and a height of 4.5m. Within this exhibition space, it is possible to add a mezzanine, the area of which cannot exceed 50% of the total area of the exhibition space (maximum area 26.5m²).
Also, across the street from the exhibition space, there is also the associated so-called commercial space, marked with the number C82, with a total area of 15m². Since Montenegro will not have commercial activities during the six-month presentation, this dedicated space should be harmonized with the exhibition space.

The vision for the design centers is inspired by the local natural environment, cultural lifestyle values, and the region’s traditional sense of community. These elements are thoughtfully reflected within the Pavilion.

Tradition, Diversity, Openness, Interactivity, Innovation and Coexistence.

n. 1 – Aerial View .
n. 2 – Street view.

The Guvno is a simple stone circle that actually contains many meanings. The starting point of this competition is intended to be a simple sign that helps connect lives. The ethnographers say that this is because threshing floors were the only flat smooth surfaces big enough to accommodate many people. In most places, a guvno would simply be a threshing floor, but in Montenegro it is something else. It takes on a different and larger role in the history and culture of the country. Collector and historian Zoran Zeković shares that, “The guvno has historical significance for Montenegro because of its symbolic meaning. It’s a place to gather.” The guvno is first mentioned in writings more than 300 years ago. At that time, houses were small and not ideal places for families to gather. The surrounding areas were either super rocky or were cleared fields where crops were planted. The community needed a shared space. This will be our proposal: a space where the people can connect with each other, a moment of break in the chaotic environment that always characterizes a World Expo.


n. 3 – Context and adaptability.

The Beauty of Sveti Stefan, a place where the mind feels free from the external world, a place to feel connected with nature in an artificial environment. That’s how “Moving away from an anthropocentric view of the world is key to solving pressing environmental challenges and recognizing the interconnectedness of all forms of life”. The proposal tries to recreate that feeling, creating a room like an island and connected through a wooden pathway surrounded by water. Two different feelings and two different environments: – The path, more natural, characterized by wooden columns and water. -The Island, where you can feel protected and your mind can finally feel disconnected from the present and connected only with the landscape and the people around you.

n. 4 – First Floor.

Representing the trees of the Immense forest of Biogradska Gora, 21 poles in two different materials, wooden for the exterior – The Tradition – ,
Metal for the interior -The Future- try to take the visitor to a different dimension, try to simulate the natural pathway. The user will walk around in
a forest of columns feeling lost for a second but glad to be lost and connected finally once again with the World. The Pavilion of Montenegro
should enable visitors to engage all their senses and generate a perception based on a new experience that symbolizes the values of common
life, “connecting life”, diversity and interaction.

n. 5 -Second Floor.
n. 6 – Ground Floor.

The program was guided by the competition brief proposal and combined in a spatial arrangement that offers flexibility and adaptability for diverse
future uses. Spaces were allocated according to the lower limits of the program presented in the brief. The different programmatic distribution
allows for a rich experience, and the interconnectivity between the spirals allows for easy experimental diversity.
The experimental exhibition component was further divided into four components: Entrance, Water, Seat and Landscape. This division can be
further adjusted and refined in the future development of the project.