The Eiffel tower? It was built for the Expo, as well as Eur, the famous Roman district, and the first Ferris wheel in Chicago. The Universal Expositions are international exhibitions, built in the most important cities of the world, which become a stage for man's technological and social evolution and which often leave permanent traces behind them.
Since 1923 the body that supervises the Expo, the International Exhibition Office, has adopted a series of regulations, in order to give a detailed classification of these events. Despite the provision of a temporary nature, many Expos have left an important mark on the host countries or cities.
Over time, the essence of these exhibitions changed profoundly: if initially the aim was to enhance one's progress in the technical-cultural field, given the great success, alongside the scientific and cultural innovations, various events were also included, aimed at having fun , such as sporting events, painting exhibitions and futuristic buildings.
The leitmotif of all the exhibitions remains the "novelty", with the task of surprising the participants with something they had never seen until then. Let's see in detail the main exhibitions that have made history.
London 1851
The first was that of London, in 1951 in the middle of the Victorian age, known as the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, built in the center of the city, in Hyde Park.
The idea came from Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who had decided to organize a great universal exhibition of industry, to show British power.
Intuition that at the beginning was not easy to achieve, until the solution was found by a gardener, John Paxton, who quickly designed a temporary building as headquarters, the Crystal Palace. It became the emblem of modernity: a building in the shape of a greenhouse, on three levels with an iron frame and a glass roof.
At the end of the event it was dismantled and moved to Sudenham Hill, but destroyed by fire in 1936.
Philadelphia 1876
On the occasion of the centenary of American independence, the first exhibition in the United States took place in Philadelphia, in the heart of the largest city park in the world: Fairmount Park.
Here too the fitting out was not easy due to a delay in the works, the workers had to work day and night, even in the rain. But the game was worth the candle: the garden was full of exotic plants, an example of great sensitivity towards nature.
Paris 1889
With the Paris Expo, the recreational and spectacular aspect was accentuated, organized on the occasion of the centenary of the Bastille Day, the main attraction of which was the Eiffel Tower, an iron and steel tower 300 meters high. Initially it was not welcomed, some called it "monstrous". Although its construction was supposed to be temporary, it was so successful that it has since become the symbol of the city.
Another major innovation was the presentation of the first petrol carthe transition from the steam engine to the internal combustion engine. A step destined to change the life of all humanity.
Chicago 1893
It was built for the second exhibition in America the world's first Ferris wheel, consisting of two large parallel steel wheels that carried carriages for 60 visitors each. Ketchup was also presented to the public for the first time.
Milan 1906
The first Expo in Italy, in full Belle Epoque, was organized to celebrate the Simplon tunnel, whose central theme was transport.
However, the characteristic of Milan was that all the pavilions were built only for the exhibition, once finished they would be dismantled. The only one to survive was the Aquarium, designed by the architect Sebastiano Locati, still today it represents one of the most significant buildings in the city.
A significant change of course was due to the two world wars. The cycle of demonstrations, characterized by progress and peaceful coexistence, was abruptly interrupted. At the end, the exhibitions resumed their course but stripped of the economic-social and cultural significance that had always characterized them.
The city most affected by this new scenario was Roma, In which 1941 was to hold its first edition of the Expo. On this occasion the Eur was designed, a neighborhood that stood on a vast abandoned land, between Rome and the sea. The idea was that of a lasting and not a temporary exhibition.
Washington 1974
The first Expo to have the environment as its central theme was the one in Spokane with various interventions on ecology made by experts from all over the world. In 1972 the MIT Report for the club of Rome was released, according to which the decline of humanity was predicted within one hundred years, if measures were not taken to reduce the rate of population growth, pollution and industrialization.
Lisbon 1998
The main theme was "The oceans, a legacy for the future", on an area to be redeveloped, which today is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city. The longest bridge in Europe was built on the occasion, over the Tagus River. The peculiarity that most struck visitors was the virtual journey to the bottom of the ocean through the splendid Oceanarium.
Shanghai 2010
Shanghai records the record of visitors, over 73 million attended the 34th edition of the Expo. The theme dealt with development from a sustainable point of view, where new city models were proposed to improve human life.
Milan 2015
Almost a hundred years after the first edition in Italy, Milan opens its doors to the world again to inaugurate the Expo with the theme "Feeding the planet, energy for life" and all issues related to food. An event that is a great success with the public and that contributes not a little to the economic and civil revitalization of Milan
Now we just have to wait for the next edition of Expo 2020 in Dubai, with the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". The appointment is for October
