If there is one place where all the ministries of agriculture meet, then that is at the biggest agriculture and horticulture exhibition in the world: Grüne Woche (International Green Week) in Messe Berlin. For 60 years, Gielissen has designed and built the Dutch Pavilion, on behalf of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV). The pavilion serves as a platform for Dutch companies in the agricultural sector.
The challenge
For participation in the 2024 exhibition Gielissen developed a new concept that we presented to the ministries of LNV and RVO. The major challenge was to design the more or less open floor plan in such a way that it would form one single country presentation. We also wanted the motto 'Farming the future' and the theme 'Lecker, nachhaltig und von nebenan' (Delicious, sustainable and local) to be absolutely clear from the presentation.
The concept
Gielissen won the pitch thanks to its inventive interpretation. Open, flexible, creative and with a clear Dutch identity, were the decisive aspects. The Dutch look was visible from every perspective. Our starting point was the bird’s eye view of the Netherlands from above: through which you immediately recognize the Dutch landscape, with its distinctive fields in shades of light and dark green. But modern Dutch agriculture is not stuck in time. Strip farming and biodiversity also play a major role in sustainable agriculture.
In Germany, our wet little country is famous for windmills, tulips, cheese and other quality products. This is depicted in a modern graphic style in the concept. You are sort of looking at a Dutch ‘postcard’. The participants are grouped and focused around the main policy themes. In collaboration with RVO, participants and partners, Gielissen developed ideas and transformed them into an interactive country presentation.
The postcard comes to life in a central display and in various ‘selfie spots’ with as a cherry on the cake the ‘mirror mill’. This gimmick resulted in awesome social media snapshots, so much so that visitors formed a queue to get an Instagram worthy photo! For two Grüne Woche visitors it was a very special moment, as it led to a marriage proposal!
The result
From the opening by the Minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Piet Adema, together with the German minister for agriculture Cem Özdemir, the visitors were very enthusiastic. As soon as they entered the pavilion, they were transported to the Netherlands for a moment. There was typical Dutch music, activities, food and drink, and a striking Dutch fruit & veg house. Thanks to the contributions from all the partners and participants, we delivered an awesome country presentation. The praise from the Ministry of LNV and RVO, together with the positive press attention, confirmed this.
