Aleatek Studio’s concept of “Floating Forest” has been announced as the winner of the competition for the design of the Serbia Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025. The pavilion, will be located at the West Entrance and Earth Plaza, aims to interpret Serbian culture and the country’s natural landscape through architectural expression. The design strategy also aligns with the theme “Play for humanity” of the upcoming Specialised Expo 2027 to be held in Belgrade.
The Serbian Pavilion is designed to demonstrate the coherence between the country’s cultural and natural heritage and its contributions to science and global development. The pavilion welcomes visitors to experience an amalgamation of urban and natural extremes. The design is inspired by the "Ratno ostrvo," an untouched Natural Park island in the center of the Serbian capital, a contrasting situation that overlaps dense urbanization and pristine natural landscapes.
The installation showcases a ‘floating’ component in the form of an elevated green façade. This gesture opens up the ground floor of the exhibition, allowing for free-flowing circulation and public facilities. The exploration path then leads visitors directly to level 2 via an urban staircase, where the iterative themes exhibition is located. This section is called “Playful Serbia.” In a nod to the upcoming Belgrade Expo 2027, the interactive display encourages playfulness and creativity.
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First Look at Expo 2025 Osaka: Previewing Sou Fujimoto's Masterplan and the Initial National Pavilion DesignsThe natural element of the “Floating Forest” aims to promote healthy microclimate solutions, creating a thriving ecosystem by balancing natural and urban features. The green facades can be experienced from both indoors and outdoors, promoting energy efficiency and easy maintenance. The facades also mirror urban forestry, while the interiors highlight technological innovations and integrated design solutions aiming to illustrate a vision of diverse future living.
Several other countries have also revealed the design for their national pavilions to take shape at Expo Osaka 2025. Among them, the French Pavilion will be designed by Coledfy and CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati to highlight natural and artificial habitats, the USA Pavilion will be designed by Trahan Architects with a focus on American innovations, while the Nordic countries have selected AMDL CIRCLE to create a structure to represent their spirit and vision in close connection to nature. Happening from 13 April 2025 to 13 October 2025, the international exhibition follows the master plan devised by architect Sou Fujimoto.
