The upcoming Expo will take place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay, Japan. The national and private pavilions will be scattered within a 60,000-square-meter wooden ring designed by Sou Fujimoto Architects. The theme of timber construction, of which Japan is a master, was particularly keenly felt, taken up by several designers to shape the Expo theme “Designing Future Society for our Lives,” encompassing three sub-themes: “Saving Lives,” “Empowering Lives,” and “Connecting Lives”. From the pavilions presented so far, we have selected those with the most distinctive features, which you can find in this gallery.
Five must-see signature pavilions at Expo Osaka 2025
Vernacular and artisanal inspirations blending with structural experimentation and digital aesthetics, between Norman Foster and SANAA: a selection from the architectures announced for the forthcoming Expo.
Image courtesy of Foster + Partners.
Image courtesy of Lina Ghotmeh.
Image courtesy of SANAA.
Image courtesy of Shigeru Ban.
Image courtesy of Nikken Sekkei.
View Article details
- Lucia Brandoli
- 05 August 2024
The Saudi Arabian pavilion will be designed by Foster + Partners and will draw inspiration from traditional Arab architecture. Sculptural, polygonal volumes will be intersected by narrow paved pathways, recreating the layout of a village. The front courtyard will be adorned with plants, and the entire pavilion will be enriched with video installations created in collaboration with design studios 59 Productions and Squint/Opera.
The Pavilion of the Kingdom of Bahrain will be designed by French-Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh, focusing on the country's maritime history as an important crossroads in the Gulf region. The design is inspired by traditional dhow boats and uses the country’s ancient boat-building techniques to showcase its craftsmanship and heritage. It will also establish a dialogue with Japanese woodcraft artistry.
SANAA, together with Keio University professor Hiroaki Miyata, whose research focuses on how Data Science can contribute to social improvement, has designed the experiential pavilion named Better Co-being. Located in the "Forest of Tranquility," the project emphasizes the importance of shaping a new world that equally respects all forms of life: the pavilion has neither walls nor a roof but appears as an abstract forest that blends with the image of a data network, symbolizing the overlap between organic and artificial life.
Shigeru Ban has designed the Blue Ocean Dome Pavilion for the non-profit organization Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (ZERI). The pavilion consists of three domes, each made from different materials: paper tubes previously tested by Ban for refugee shelters, a laminated bamboo system, and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, used to avoid the need for concrete piles due to the fragility of the reclaimed land, which also helps to shorten construction times. As told by the architect, this design opportunity allowed to explore effective construction systems for the future of buildings. Inside, the pavilion will host an exhibition on the importance of the ocean and its health, raising awareness against human pollution.
The Japan pavilion, designed by Nikkei Sekkei, features a circular shape made of reusable slats of cross-laminated timber. According to the firm, it aims to represent the cycle of life and explores the Japanese aesthetic concept of circulation. Nendo's Oki Sato is the general producer of the project.