London studio Woo Architects has redeveloped its design for the UK Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, which will now pay homage to the innovations of English mathematician Ada Lovelace.

The pavilion will be defined by perforated aluminium panels intended to evoke punched cards – a type of card punctured with holes and once commonly used for inputting data to computers.

It replaces a more pared-back design revealed by Woo Architects and Japanese contractor ES Global early last year, which was lined with digital screens and centred around the principles of circular economy.

According to Woo Architects, the new design aligns with the theme Come Build The Future and celebrates the work of Lovelace, who is known as the world’s first computer programmer.

Specifically, it references her use of punched cards to instruct the Analytical Engine – a prototype steam-powered programmable computer designed by engineer Charles Babbage – in the early 1840s.

“The pavilion’s design celebrates Britain at a pivotal moment; our global reputation for innovation and creativity shines through, while the playful facade reflects our innate curiosity and ability to find opportunity in every challenge,” the studio’s director of culture  Emma Owens said.

“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.”

The upcoming World Expo is set to take place on the artificial island Yumeshima in Osaka Bay from 13 April to 13 October 2025. It has been masterplanned by Sou Fujimoto Architects in line with the theme titled Designing Future Society for Our Lives, set by organisers Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

Sou Fujimoto Architects recently released construction photos of The Grand Ring, a vast wooden structure designed to encircle the pavilions at the event.

Other national pavilions revealed so far include a cluster of angular volumes for Saudi Arabia that Foster and Partners is modelling on the kingdom’s traditional villages and a “canyon” designed by Trahan Architects for the USA.

Today, the mascot for the UK Pavilion was also unveiled. Named PIX, it is made from red, blue and white building blocks and can be transformed into various shapes.

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