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Architects: Mitsubishi Jisho Design
- Area: 3476 m²
- Year: 2025
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Photographs:Nacasa & Partners Inc
A "Mother Ship" Hovering Just Above the Ground. – The theme of the Mitsubishi Group pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai—"keeping the world vibrant"—is reflected in the core design concept of life, nature, and human society as interconnected and interacting elements. The pavilion consists of a belowground level and two aboveground levels of layered geometries, beginning with a semi-underground elliptical space. Overlapping this space is a rhombus whose vertices touch the interior curve of the oval. A rectangle similarly laid out within the rhombus provides an additional layer for the structure. Each of these three geometric forms symbolizes a different element—the ellipse, life; the rhombus, nature; and the rectangle, society—while the architecture expresses their mutually supportive relationship. The pavilion has no single front-facing façade; rather, the all-directional design is meant to be visually engaging from both the main plaza on the east gate side as well as the peripheral roads on the opposite side.
The interior space is designed to allow visitors to three-dimensionally cross the "body" of the pavilion while engaging in various experiences throughout areas centered around the main video exhibition. Upon arrival, visitors first descend into the semi-underground space known as the Waiting Park. The design blocks direct sunlight from entering the space and facilitates the flow of cool air. The result is a shaded and comfortable waiting area that all visitors can enjoy. From there, visitors proceed to the Pre-Show on the first level to view an orientation video before moving on to the Main Show on the second level. After an immersive video experience, visitors return to the first floor and pass through the Post-Show area before reaching an area at the structure's tip called Sankaku Park (lit., Triangle Park), which feels as if it is suspended in midair.
A key concept that inspired our design for the pavilion was the circular use of resources on a small scale. The pavilion will be dismantled after the six-month duration of the Expo, and the site will be restored to its original state. The design minimizes direct contact between the building and the ground to ensure that the soil—a precious resource—is restored to its natural condition with minimal environmental impact after the Expo ends. The excavated soil will be repurposed for site reclamation, fulfilling our commitment to circular use.
For the finishes, we explored alternative uses for temporary materials that are typically employed only during construction, reimagining them as primary finishing materials. By considering the potential for these materials to be repurposed after the Expo, we aimed to reduce both the economic and environmental impact of the pavilion. Specifically, the pavilion's exterior is covered with an equal combination of polycarbonate panels and steel construction scaffolding. Sandbags, steel pipes (single-tube scaffolding), tread plates, lighting fixtures, fans, and other materials used in the pavilion can all be repurposed on-site. Additionally, practical materials such as blue tarps, ceiling framing materials, laminated timber, oriented strand board (OSB), and chain mesh fencing are cleverly incorporated into the finishes and interior design.
The air-conditioned areas were minimized, and the majority of the interior space was designed as a semi-outdoor area reminiscent of the veranda space (engawa) found in traditional Japanese houses, thereby reducing the cooling load. The design also eschews overly complex or theatrical lighting; rather, soft illumination from within the building spills outward, creating a gradient of light and shadow. Such gentle, nuanced lighting honors the aesthetic concept of darkness rooted in Japanese cultural traditions while also imbuing the space with a sense of depth and richness.
The pavilion's design represents a commitment to sustainability, with every aspect— from minimizing energy consumption to reusing materials—aiming to create a small-scale circular architecture from construction to demolition.
