West Entrance, Triulza Side
Archeology of the Green
Here we are at the Archaeological Site of the Green, the pavilion of the Kingdom of Bahrain at Expo 2015. Thinking of how Bahrain would feed the planet as per Expo’s theme is no easy task. However, glorification of the millennia-long tradition of the country’s agriculture, along with the myths of the Garden of Eden (an idea to be found in all the literature of the main monotheistic religions) is the fundamental idea for a very successful pavilion. This very low-key, one-storey pavilion that you could easily miss on entering the Decumanus is actually a treasure house of serenity amid the fizzing atmosphere of Expo. Designed by the winning team in an invitation-only international competition, Studio Anne Holtrop (watch out: Anne is a he, not a she!), the pavilion gives visitors the pleasure of wandering into a space where architecture is poetically integrated with the green of the desert. One could argue about the environmental aspect of the concrete, nevertheless the pavilion will be reassembled again in Bahrain after Expo ends, as a botanical garden. The treasure will be preserved. And this we like very much!