World Expo Osaka Opens next week!
We’re excited to be part of the official Opening Ceremony of the World Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan next week.
WOO is proud to have designed the UK Pavilion, a key feature of this year’s Expo. The ceremony will feature an opening declaration by TOKURA Masakazu, Chairperson of the Association, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming esteemed guests. This marks the beginning of a 184-day global event, running until October 13, 2025.
While the opening ceremony is not open to the general public, it will be broadcast live on NHK.
Date: April 12, 2025
Location: Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan
Live Broadcast: NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
Time: 13:55 – 15:15 (subject to change)
Emma Owens, Director of Culture and New Business, and Sean Pacileo, Senior Associate, will be traveling to Osaka for the Opening Ceremony. If you’re interested in attending or would like more details, please contact WOO at info@wooarchitects.com or reach out to Emma or Sean on Linkedin.
Read more about our work at UK at World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai
Kevin Owens, Founder and CEO, Joins Panel on Stadium Development and Sustainability
On March 19, 2025, Kevin Owens, Founder and CEO of WOO architects, participated as a panellist in the Major Sporting Events Webinar: Venue Readiness and Infrastructure Development.
Hosted in Los Angeles and moderated by Marcelo Wellisch from 4global, this invite-only webinar brought together senior US stakeholders involved in major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cups, and the Olympics. The discussion focused on UK thought leadership in venue readiness and infrastructure planning.
Key topics covered included; temporary vs. permanent infrastructure; operational requirements and overlay design; key timelines and challenges in stadium development, managing contracts with developers and sustainability strategies and integrating infrastructure projects with wider urban planning.
This webinar was a fantastic opportunity to engage with industry leaders on the complexities of sports venue development and global best practices.
If you’d like to learn more about the insights shared, feel free to reach out to us.
Kevin Owens’ TED Talk: Designed to Inspire – Lessons from 2012
In 2014, Kevin Owens, CEO and Founder of WOO architects, took the stage at TEDxFulbrightDublin to share how design shaped the London 2012 Olympics.
As the Design Principal for the London 2012 Olympics, Kevin played a key role in transforming the city’s landscape to create a uniquely British world-class Olympic experience. In Designed to Inspire: Lessons from 2012, he explores the balance between creativity and constraints, the power of temporary architecture, and how smart, strategic design leaves a lasting impact long after the event is over.
Watch the full talk here: Designed to inspire — lessons from 2012: Kevin Owens at TEDxFulbrightDublin
Test Event for Paris Olympics Sailing Venue
Great to be at the first Paris 2024 test event last week in Marseille – an important step in our venue planning and overlay design for next year’s Olympic Games sailing competition!
The first Paris 2024 test event is taking place in Marseille in the south of France from 9 to 16 July. Ten sailing events are being held at Marseille Marina as athletes, organisers, volunteers and locals experience the Olympic atmosphere a little over a year before the next Games.
French flags are floating in the air of Prado Beach, one of the most iconic locations of Marseille. Dozens of containers, here to house sailing equipment, with team colours set next to the Olympic rings are lined up beside sailors heading to Marseille Marina in the summer heat.
The atmosphere of the next Olympics is in the air.
From 9 to 16 July, the first event of the Paris 2024 testing programme is being held in Marseille, the second largest city in France.
The venue is located on the edge of Marseille, 5km from the Vieux-Port, where the Olympic flame will arrive on 8 May from Olympia in Greece. From land you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Frioul archipelago.
It is in this holiday landscape that the Olympic sailing competitions will be hosted from 28 July to 8 August 2024, where 330 athletes will attempt to win medals in one of the 10 events.
This Monday 10 July, races are being hosted for kitesurfing, mixed events and dinghy. A lack of morning wind delays the competition start and athletes along with their personnel are waiting in the shade, as competitors discuss wind orientation.
All of them are waiting for an indication they can begin, which eventually arrives at around 1pm. A wind of around 10 marine knots (19km/h) allows the show to start.
Camille Lecointre: “You have to be polyvalent”
The city of Marseille is surrounded by the mountains of the Marseilleveyre range, the Frioul archipelago and high-rise buildings. Above the landscape, the warm climate is also playing a role in the conditions of the wind, which are constantly evolving.
“The venue is diverse in terms of wind directions. You have to be polyvalent and adept in several weather conditions,” explains Camille Lecointre , a double Olympic bronze medalist in women’s dinghy.
“The topography makes the sailing super interesting,” adds Hannah Snellgrove from Great Britain, who sails in the women’s one-person dinghy.
From the viewpoint of the sea, the scenery is that of a postcard.
The whole of Marseille harbour and its iconic monuments and sites can be seen: Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica, Velodrome Stadium, Calanques National Park and more.
“It’s a magnificent venue,” says Jeremie Mion , the partner of Camille Lecointre in the mixed dinghy and Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympian. “We can see all the islands, mountains and Calanques…”
Source: https://olympics.com/en/news/test-event-paris-2024-sailing-marseille
Celia Richardson Talk at the NLA About BBC Earth Experience
New TV and film studio facilities are being designed across the UK to support the ever-growing British film industry. This evening talk will present a series of large-scale projects designed specifically for film and TV production.
The UK’s TV production and film industry has had a post-covid boom, with an ever-increasing demand for TV and film content. BFI’s official statistic of £5.64 billion spent in film and high-end TV production in 2021 puts this industry into focus when looking at the UK’s overall economic growth over the past three years. As new TV and film studio facilities are appearing across the country, how can these masterplans be used for positive regeneration, encouraging job opportunities and skills? What are the biggest challenges when it comes to designing complex, multifunctional and technical campuses and what is the role of placemaking within these?
This evening talk will present the latest TV and film studio projects across the UK, showcasing how these schemes can champion local talent, create job opportunities and improve local economy.
Source: https://nla.london/events/on-set-the-architecture-of-tv-and-film-studios