According to the founder, one of the four areas of the upcoming Township of Auroville consists of the ”International Zone”(IZ). Here the different cultures on earth will be expressed by the construction of ”National Pavilions”.

”The nation or society, like the individual, has a body, an organic life, a moral and aesthetic temperament, a developing mind and a soul behind all these signs and powers for the sake of which they exist”, Sri Aurobindo writes in his book ”The human cycle” under the chapter ”Discovering the soul of nation”, and as The Mother explains, that is why each of the pavilions in the International Zone of Auroville must represent the ”soul of the country”, ”the centre of national aspiration, the fountainhead of all that is beautiful, noble, great and generous in the life of the country”.

Behind Auroville’s unique concept of National Pavilions lies the understanding, that only through the representation and acknowledgement of the characteristics of national cultures can a real foundation be provided for unification beyond the national level (e.g. in Europe). Through the symbolic elaboration of each nation’s respective cultural potential one can thus perceive their contribution and their role in a peaceful co-operation.

This interpretation makes it clear, that here there is a different goal to that of the competition-oriented presentations in the tradition of the World Expo. Here the pavilions will exhibit to the international visitors of Auroville and the members of participating nations the characteristics and qualities of each collective-spiritual identity. In this way the finalised pavilions in the International Zone of Auroville can highlight the interlinked and complementary mosaic of human cultures on this planet.