At Expo 2025 in Osaka, national pavilions reveal -- or cleverly conceal -- their stories through architecture, offering clues to what each country wants the world to see
OSAKA, Japan — “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” the saying goes. But at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, the exteriors of many national pavilions offer a clear preview of what lies within.
South Korea’s pavilion, sprawling over 3,500 square meters, makes a bold statement with a massive 27-by-10-meter digital media façade created by LG Electronics. It underscores the nation’s strong focus on technological innovation.
The screen covers the entire front wall and features video of shifting cultural imagery, including scenes from Gyeongbokgung, the main Joseon-era (1392–1910) palace in Seoul.
“We tried incorporating traditional Korean elements,” a pavilion spokesperson told The Korea Herald. “For example, at the entrance, the ceiling is decorated with Hansan mosi (a fine traditional Korean ramie fabric).”
But beyond those subtle nods to heritage, the Korea Pavilion largely looks ahead.
Inside, visitors pass through three immersive halls, each one showcasing modern Korea and its technology.
In the first hall, titled “Everyone Is United by Sound and Light,” beams of light move vertically and horizontally through the room. The lights even intersect with the bodies of guests. Voice recordings submitted by participants before entry fill the space, creating a unique and interactive soundscape.
The second hall, “With the Restoration of Life in a Dilapidated City,” features sculptures molded from plastic to resemble concrete. Everyday electronic devices such as televisions, smartphones, fans and vacuum cleaners are embedded in the display, symbolizing the infrastructure of modern civilization, according to the Korea Pavilion.
The final hall presents a three-sided video installation depicting a story set in Korea in 2040. While K-pop elements appear, the visuals are rougher and less glossy than the music videos typically produced by Korea’s entertainment powerhouses.
China’s pavilion takes a different approach. It leans heavily into tradition, and that is apparent right from the start.
The exterior draws inspiration from bamboo slips, taking the shape of an unfurled calligraphy scroll, with ancient Chinese poetry engraved along its surface.
Inside, the exhibition centers on China’s vast cultural heritage, though many of the artifacts on display are replicas.
Defying expectations
Still, some pavilions are less obvious, like Uzbekistan’s, which defies expectations.
The Uzbekistan Pavilion, themed “Garden of Knowledge: A Laboratory for a Future Society,” was designed by the German architecture firm Atelier Brückner.
At first glance, the pavilion evokes a forest. Wooden columns, a nod to ancient shelters along the Silk Road, stands on top of a lower level wrapped in reclaimed bricks sourced from across Japan.
Inside, the atmosphere shifts. Visitors step into a dimly lit chamber, where a circular platform awaits at the center. Slowly, it begins to ascend, carrying them to the second floor. Along the way, they're immersed in ambient soundscapes and surrounded by 360-degree projections. As the platform rises, anticipation builds, until they arrive in a surreal wooden forest above.
This platform may appear simple, but according to Atelier Brückner, it is the first of its kind in Japan. Strict legislation on seismic safety required it to be classified as a roller coaster.
"When we had this idea, we didn't think that it would be a big deal,” Shirin Frangoul-Brückner, founder of Atelier Brückner said. “But this really needed to be earthquake proof and it basically has the permission of a roller coaster.”
Gayane Umerova, chair of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation and commissioner of the pavilion, explained that the pavilion’s composition aligns with Uzbekistan’s ongoing nationwide cultural campaign.
“This is all part of the strategy, to move forward with contemporary art,” said Umerova. “But of course, we’re building on legacy. That’s crucial.”
Frangoul-Brückner expressed a similar view.
“Uzbekistan is preparing, society is preparing, for the future,” she said. “There are projects in education, innovation and sustainability. These are on display inside because they’re just as important (as tradition).”
Expo 2025 officially opened on Sunday and runs through Oct. 13. Located on Yumeshima, a man-made island in Osaka Bay, the fair spans more than 155 hectares and brings together 158 countries and organizations under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”
Tying the site together is the Grand Ring, a 12-meter-high elevated wooden walkway conceived by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. It wraps around the grounds like a ribbon, and offers sweeping views of the entire Expo site.
ssh@heraldcorp.com
