We preview Expo 2025 Osaka: what to expect and who will be there

A rising sun. Toy building blocks. Ice fragments. A garden of knowledge. Waves of the ocean. And flowing around it all? A giant wooden ring – one of the largest human-built timber structures in the world. These are among an imaginative spectrum of architectural expressions which have been brought to life for the World Expo 2025 Osaka, which runs for six months in the western Japanese city from April 13.

The Expo, held every five years, has long been a playground for experimental architecture, combining the world’s leading creative talents with technological innovations and explorations through material, form and concept.

Inside the thinking behind Expo 2025 Osaka

Inspired by the theme 'Designing Future Society For Our Lives,' the latest Expo spans the landscape of Yumeshima, an artificial island of reclaimed gravel and sand in Osaka Bay, also a major industrial terminal for containers and a key transportation hub. An anticipated 28.2 million visitors are expected to make a pilgrimage to the Expo 2025 Osaka site between April and October. During this time, the site will be home to dozens of pavilions created with the involvement of 158 countries and regions, alongside 12 private sector structures. As many as 113,000 visitors a day will be able to immerse themselves in inventive pavilions dreamt up by a roll call of Japanese architects, from Kengo Kuma to Yuko Nagayama, plus countless top creatives from overseas.

The Grand Ring by Sou Fujimoto

The starting point, however, is the Grand Ring. In the making for the past five years, this giant timber ring – spanning 2km in circumference and rising 20m high – was designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, rooted in the idea of 'unity in diversity.' It balances contemporary technology with ancient craftsmanship: inspired by Japan’s rich heritage of traditional joinery, as seen as ancient temples such as Kiyomizudera in Kyoto, the Grand Ring is a structural jigsaw puzzle of interlocking wooden beams made from Japanese sugi cedar, hinoki cypress and European red cedar, alongside metal reinforcements for earthquake resistance.

Expo 2025 Osaka: the highlights

Japan Pavilion

Inside the ring sit the pavilions: countless creative structures by global creatives, expressing the values, missions and future pathways of nations across the world. A key focal point is likely to be the Japan Pavilion, with nendo founder Oki Sato at the helm as general designer and producer, and architectural design led by Nikken Sekkei. Circular and unfolding, with shifting boundaries between inside and out, its crafted form is made from circles of vertical planks of timber, inspired by the theme 'Between Lives.'

Nordics Pavilion

Other highlights include the Nordics Pavilion – a joint creative project called Nordic Circle by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Designed by Italian architect Michele de Lucchi and AMDL Circle, with construction by Rimond, the recyclable timber structure is inspired by the shape of a traditional Nordic barn, fusing pared-back simplicity with a natural material palette. Standing 17m tall, the pavilion is home to an immersive exhibition area as well as a rooftop with a restaurant plus a Nordic garden.

Portugal Pavilion

Another head-turning project is the Portugal Pavilion – flowing and floating, it is a spatially deconstructed abstraction inspired by the theme 'Ocean, The Blue Dialogue,' brought to life by Kengo Kuma through an intricate interplay of suspended ropes and recycled nets, evoking the fluid motion of waves. Filtering the elements from sun to wind, the structure is designed as a dynamic expression of oceanic movement, with the layered transparency of the facade appearing to undulate like a wave. The pavilion aims to offer visitors an immersive exploration of the ocean while highlighting Portugal’s deep cultural and economic connections to the sea.

Switzerland Pavilion

Meanwhile, a futuristic clutch of spheres defines the DNA of the Switzerland Pavilion. The structures have super-light membrane surfaces made from a durable plastic film known as ETFE – a recyclable material which will be used to make furniture after the Expo ends. Designed by Manuel Herz Architects (also behind the Munich villa that is part of our world tour of contemporary homes) for minimal environmental impact, the structure is made up of four spheres, interconnected and lightweight, creating an innovative interior platform to showcase Swiss innovations. It’s rooted in – and wrapped by – nature, with an abundance of tumbling flowers and plants flowing around the spheres. The entire structure weighs up to 400kg – around 1 per cent of conventional building shells – with organisers highlighting how, once dismantled, it can be transported 'on two to three cargo bike.'

UK Pavilion

The UK Pavilion describes itself as modern, innovative, uniquely British and, perhaps something of a curveball, inspired by children’s 'toy building blocks' – or as it explains in its concept: 'Every idea, just like every simple building block, has the potential to grow into something great.' London-based Woo Architects recently unveiled a refreshed version of its original design, created from a fully demountable and transportable modular system. The new façade features perforated aluminium panels inspired by the punched cards of early 19th century calculating machines, invented by mathematician Ada Lovelace. These elements are intertwined using a weaving technique, hinting at the textile industries which fuelled early industrial growth in Manchester and Osaka.

The Netherlands Pavilion

A rising sun is the main protagonist in The Netherlands Pavilion – or rather, an anthropogenic white sphere symbolising the sun (and the power of renewable sources) which sits at its heart. The pavilion, by Amsterdam-based RAU architects, is inspired by the Tower of the Sun, an iconic centrepiece of the Osaka Expo in 1970. Wrapped around the 'sun' is an eye-catchingly ethereal façade of lamellas, representing the flow of water – measuring in total a precise 425m, to align with the 425th anniversary of relations between Japan and the Netherlands. Interior highlights include a curtain with a modern layered design called Aptitude Fragments, created by Kyoto-based Dutch textile artist Mae Engelgeer in collaboration with URA, a collaborative project with weavers based in textile hub Fujiyoshida at the base of Mount Fuji.

Uzbekistan Pavilion

For the Uzbekistan Pavilion, it’s all about a garden of knowledge. The pavilion, designed by Atelier Brückner, sits in a triangular plot echoing the form of an ancient Central Asian amulet known as a tumar – and taps into Uzbekistan’s Silk Road heritage as a longstanding cultural crossroads as well as its paradise-like gardens as a place for exchange. A conceptual architectural journey unfolds through the 'soil,' with crafted earthen walls, rising up to a “forest” of trees, with an open-air scattering of wooden pillars at its apex.'

Canada Pavilion

Canada at Expo 2025 Osaka – Canada Pavilion Viewpoints - YouTube

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An architectural expression of ice fragments defines the Canada Pavilion – or more precisely, ice jams (or embâcle); winter ice as it breaks up and transforms into flowing springtime rivers, a natural phenomenon symbolising renewal, growth and hope. Brought to life by architects from Rayside Labossière and Guillaume Pelletier Architect, its angular white façade is designed to evoke the 'chill of winter,' with the contrasting warmth of the interior aiming to reflect Canada’s openness and optimism. More than half the structure is made of materials and components that can be rented or reused, while recycled elements include asphalt from the exterior, which can be reused after dismantling the pavilion.

USA Pavilion

A bold modern design sets the stage at the US Pavilion. Designed by Trahan Architects (their first built project outside the US), the pavilion layers two triangular buildings with a central plaza, inspired by the connective structural form of Japanese footbridges. Panoramas of iconic American landmarks in terms of architecture and industry float across mountainous walls lined with LED screens, while at its heart, the glowing, reflective surfaces of a glass cube 'floats' above the heads of visitors – mirroring the relationship between sun and earth.

Private Sector Pavilions

A further twelve Japanese private sector pavilions are also in the spotlight during Expo 2025 Osaka – ranging from the Mitsubishi Pavilion (self-designed, inspired by the concept of 'keeping the world vibrant'); the Women’s Pavilion (created in collaboration with Cartier, with a futuristic façade by Yuko Nagayama reconfigured from the Dubai Expo, alongside an immersive journey created by Es Devlin); and Zeri Japan’s Blue Ocean Dome (a trio of spherical structures dedicated to the idea of revitalising seas, designed by Shigeru Ban, with exhibition direction by Kenya Hara).

How to get tickets to Expo 2025 Osaka

The World Expo 2025 Osaka launches on the 13th of April 2025 and will remain open to visitors for six months. The site is in the Kansai region, within Osaka City's Yumeshima, an artificial island in the Konohana Ward.

In order to purchase tickets, you need to register for an Expo ID - then, you can log in and buy from a variety of ticket types (for individuals, groups, single-day admission or multiple-day ones). You can also register for a lottery to win general admission and access to various pavilion events.

Expo 2025 Osaka will run 13 April – 13 October 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan

expo2025.or.jp