UK Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka
Showcasing British innovations that have changed the world
- CLIENT: ES Global / Department for Business and Trade UK
- LOCATION: Osaka, Japan
- AREA: 2000m²
- SERVICES: Lead Designer for Architecture and Interior
Offering a journey through time from the Industrial Revolution to the present day and beyond, the eye-catching UK Pavilion skilfully blends aspects of heritage with cutting-edge design, perfectly capturing the venue’s Expo 2025 theme, Come Build the Future.
WOO’s design concept was to showcase British innovations that have changed the world. As leaders in designing temporary and demountable structures, we created the pavilion in collaboration with ES Global, a specialist design and build contractor of venues and relocatable architecture.
In a prime location directly overlooking the water plaza, the pavilion and the gardens take full advantage of the wide plot creating an inspiring and tranquil setting, reflecting the essence of the British landscape. And with interiors designed by WOO including a restaurant, café, terrace bar and meeting rooms, the whole building blends natural beauty with simplicity to offers visitors a serene and immersive experience which embodies the deep-rooted connection between the UK and Japan.
Clad in powder-coated aluminium, the façade’s parametric design forms a dynamic, pixelated pattern. The articulated block pattern of folded perforated panels wraps the structure, subtly shifting in appearance throughout the day as light interacts with its surface. After dark, the building is transformed, as light animates the perforated facade to reveal the Union Jack flag behind it.
The perforated panels echo the punched cards once used in textile looms – an early form of programmable technology that shaped intricate fabric patterns. This delicate skin pays tribute to the textile industries that fuelled industrial revolutions in both the UK and Japan, weaving together a shared legacy of innovation with a bold, digital-age vision. Over time these patterns evolved into the binary code and pixels that now underpin Britain’s globally recognised film and gaming industries, linking past and present through the language of pattern, precision and progress.
Emma Owens, Director of WOO and the pavilion’s lead designer, said: ‘The pavilion’s design celebrates Britain at a pivotal moment; our global reputation for innovation and creativity shines through, while the playful façade reflects our innate curiosity and ability to find opportunity in every challenge. This is a space where a rich historic narrative comes alive, and we hope it inspires conversations about British resilience and industriousness for years to come.’
