Take a Closer Look at the Osaka Pavilion at Expo 2025. The Event is Coming up Soon.
As anticipation builds for Expo 2025 Osaka , which begins on April 13 , the architectural landscape of the event continues to take shape. Under the theme “Designing the Future of Society for Our Lives,” the event will bring together a range of national pavilions, public programs, artistic interventions, and private sector initiatives to address global environmental challenges and explore sustainable solutions from the perspectives of heritage and technological innovation. Sou Fujimoto continues to make impressive progress on his monumental ring master plan , which, when completed, will be the world’s largest wooden structure. As the Expo’s connecting fabric, it will serve as a circuit, observation deck, public space, and event venue. Surrounding it and on Japan ’s artificial island of Yumeshima, pavilions from around the world will gather to spark discussion on topics such as sustainability, mobility, and cultural identity.
From Hungary’s haystack dome theater to Portugal’s cable-stayed aerial cableway, each structure tells a unique story of heritage, materiality, and vision for the future. The Scandinavian pavilion, built from forest-grown timber, represents a circular design, while the multi-sensory Saudi Arabian pavilion combines computational design with indigenous cooling technology. Along with these intrinsic interventions, Expo 2025 Osaka offers a collaborative platform for sustainable development, technological innovation, and artistic interaction. The official mascot, Myakumyaku, is already making waves, while initiatives such as the Future Society Showcase Project and the Art Expo’s immersive water and light performance promise to draw attention to pressing global cultural issues. As we continue our first look at some of the most exciting pavilions at the Expo , from national pavilions to individual exhibitions, and learn more about the key moments that shaped this momentous event, read on.
Image credit: Expo Osaka 2025
Sui Fujimoto’s Forestry Master Plan is the centerpiece of the exhibition.
The Fujimoto Sui Memorial Hall is the centerpiece of the Osaka Expo 2025. Inspired by the architecture of ancient Japanese temples, the structure features intricate carpentry techniques made from local cedar and hinoki cypress, reinforced with earthquake-resistant metal elements. Covering 60,000 square meters and standing 20 meters high, it creates a dynamic public space that protects the circulation paths below and features an elevated observation deck overlooking the Expo site and Osaka Bay. Green roofs are interwoven throughout and change with the seasons.
Inside, the master plan is realized through four main event spaces designed for a variety of purposes , from receiving high-ranking officials to performances, exhibitions, and cultural exchanges. The Guest House, with its Japanese-style corridors and gardens, embodies the spirit of hospitality, while the Expo Hall, inspired by the Tower of the Sun from the 1970 Osaka World Expo, serves as a venue for culture. The Expo National Day Hall celebrates international exchanges through multi-level indoor and outdoor spaces, while Expo Messe provides a platform for global dialogue and trade.
Fujimoto described the project as an architectural and conceptual challenge, combining historic local timber construction with new technologies as construction progressed, in an interview with Designboom. “This is not only a great experiment in working on a large scale , but also an interesting challenge in terms of innovative construction methods,” the architect said .
Images courtesy of Sui Fujimoto and Expo Osaka 2025.
The Hungarian Pavilion has a theater beneath a haystack-shaped dome.
The Forest Pavilion in Hungary reflects Sou Fujimoto’s ring-shaped island plan in terms of its complex materiality and experiential journey. The architecture is rooted in a deep cultural connection with heritage and natural materials, such as small wooden panels and folk techniques common in Hungarian and Japanese architecture. The exhibition is a multi-sensory journey along a green path enlivened by Hungarian folk songs. The visitor begins his journey along the path into a star-lit, atmospheric theater where stories of local legends come to life. This immersive theater space is hidden beneath a wooden dome that resembles a haystack, alluding to rural life in Hungarian history.
Image courtesy of the Hungarian Pavilion and Expo 2025 Osaka
Kengo Kuma’s Portuguese Pavilion is a strange wave.
The Portugal Pavilion, designed by Kengo Kuma, expresses a deep relationship with water under the theme of “Ocean: Blue Dialogue.” The façade, made up of ropes reminiscent of waves and suspended from recycled fishing nets, appears to float, creating a sense of moving waves and symbolizing the country’s maritime heritage. The sustainable materiality of the structure further supports the circular economy, highlighting Portugal’s role in solving global issues such as climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
The architects divided the interior of the pavilion into two sections. Knowledge Sharing explores 500 years of maritime exchange between Portugal and Japan , and features historical artifacts, art exhibits and interactive displays that trace the evolution of marine sustainability technologies. The second section, Partnership for a Sustainable Future, is a multimedia experience that concludes with a five-minute audiovisual installation that demonstrates the balanced relationship between humans and the ocean.
Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates
A 3-act experience for all living beings at the French Pavilion
The French pavilion , Theatrum Naturae, is also about nature, weaving an experiential journey in three acts: ascent, discovery of nature, and return to the land. Coldefy and Carlo Ratti Associati created a looping architectural path that connects the artificial and natural ecosystems, with a spiral staircase leading up to a balcony with a viewing platform. As visitors continue, they cross a breathtaking threshold to reach a green terrace, a space reminiscent of nature that acts as a protective barrier above the building and pays homage to France’s rich cultural and environmental contributions in the 21st century. The design team envisioned a pavilion where all living things could gather during the Expo, while also extending the pavilion’s life cycle beyond the event, participating in a virtuous cycle of reuse and recycling.
