Osaka Expo 2025 showcases colossal circles and timber-based futuristic designs
In the heart of Japan, Osaka played host to the grand opening of Expo 2025 on Sunday, 13th April. This global event, themed around "Designing Future Society for Our Life," has attracted the participation of 158 countries and nine regions, promising an immersive journey into the future.
The Expo's architectural landscape is a testament to innovation and sustainability. Notable structures include Sou Fujimoto's grand wooden urban monument, the Grand Ring, symbolising ephemerality and urban life. The Singapore Pavilion, with its visually striking spherical shape covered by 17,000 recycled aluminum discs, underscores the importance of sustainability.
The United Kingdom Pavilion, designed with reusable materials for post-Expo repurposing, exemplifies the event's commitment to circularity. Germany's pavilion, emblazoned with the Japanese concept of "Wa" (harmony and circulation), showcases circular wooden structures. South Korea's pavilion offers an AI-driven immersive exhibit that composes global musical pieces from recorded voices.
The use of wood, recycled aluminum, stainless steel, metal textiles, and innovative steel structures dominates the Expo, blending sustainability with futuristic aesthetics. Shapes range from circular and spherical forms (Singapore and Germany pavilions) to dynamic, swirling forms exemplified by MAD’s Tornado pavilion.
Beyond architecture, the Expo offers a plethora of immersive exhibitions and experiences. Pavilions such as Peru's showcase traditional crafts, dance, and cuisine, while technological immersion includes AI, as seen in South Korea’s musical AI exhibit.
Water is a significant theme in many pavilions, with some exploring maritime heritages and rising sea levels. The Qatar Pavilion, designed by Kengo Kuma, resembles a white fabric-wrapped wooden box inspired by boat construction and Japanese craftsmanship, while Lina Ghotmeh's Bahrain Pavilion is a dynamic timber structure inspired by traditional dhow boats.
The Netherlands Pavilion features a rippling water-inspired facade wrapping around a rising sun-like orb, and the Swiss Pavilion, a stand-out example, resembles six interconnected white spheres. The Better Co-being Pavilion, designed by SANAA, has no walls, floor, or roof and spans the site's central Forest of Tranquillity.
Shigeru Ban brings to life a trio of spherical structures made in paper tubes, bamboo, and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic for the Ocean Dome. The Portugal Pavilion, also designed by Kengo Kuma, has a maritime theme reflected in an ethereal exterior draped entirely in hanging ropes.
The Canada Pavilion is inspired by the springtime melting of ice, with angular white blocks as its main design. The UK Pavilion has a pixelated facade of perforated metal with a 3D patterned surface designed to emulate the 19th-century punchcards used in textile looms.
The Nordic Pavilion, a union of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, showcases sustainable Nordic innovations in an intimately curated exhibition. Cartier's Women’s Pavilion contains an immersive journey designed by Es Devlin, exploring the life-pivoting childhood moments of three women around the world.
The Uzbekistan Pavilion features a circular moving platform designed by Atelier Brückner, immersing visitors in 360-degree visuals. The event's central attraction, the Grand Ring, serves as a "People’s Living Lab," encouraging interaction and co-creation towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Overall, Expo 2025 Osaka blends avant-garde architectural design, sustainable materials, innovative use of shapes, and multisensory immersive exhibitions to manifest its vision of future society grounded in technology, culture, and global cooperation. It serves not only as a showcase but also as a platform for solving global challenges and advancing next-generation urban and social concepts.
- The Expo's architectural landscape, dominated by sustainable materials like wood and recycled aluminum, symbolizes the fusion of sustainability with futuristic aesthetics, showcasing technology's role in shaping the future society.
- The Grand Ring, embedded with the latest technology, serves as a "People’s Living Lab," encouraging interaction and co-creation towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), exemplifying technology's potential in addressing global challenges and advancing next-generation urban and social concepts.
