Woo Architects has unveiled a demountable UK Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka

London-based studio Woo Architects and Japanese contractor ES Global will collaborate to design the UK Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. The pavilion will utilize a reversible gridded structure that adheres to circular economy principles. It will feature a 10x10m structural grid that can be disassembled and relocated after the Japan event next year.

The details of what the pavilion will showcase have not been revealed yet. However, based on the visuals, it seems that the pavilion will consist of boxy forms with flat roofs. Woo Architects has also revealed that the structure will be designed for maximum thermal efficiency and reduce energy consumption, and the roofs are being developed to incorporate renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind power.

The UK pavilion is set to follow the theme of “Come Build The Future” and will be constructed using the Global Modular System. This system has been designed by ES Global to enhance construction efficiency and meet the time-sensitive demands of clients, whilst being flexible and reusable. The key components of the modular building, including the structure, floor plates, and external cladding, will be easily relocated with minimal transportation, plant, and labor requirements.

This approach was also used with the Global Super Truss system to create venues for the London 2012 Olympics. These trusses were later used as new structures for the Winter Olympics in Sochi and then permanently as a velodrome in Jakarta, which was built for the 2018 Asian Games. Similarly, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic shooting venue was later repurposed as a basketball arena at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and the ‘kit of parts’ will be used again in Japan.

“We are really excited to bring a new product to the Japanese market and see many future applications of this system in Japan, a country which has long embraced modular construction. The construction industry in Japan is going through a period of change at this very moment, and we are convinced that this Global Modular System will lead to solutions for addressing some of the infrastructure needs of the future.”

Olly Watts, co-CEO, ES GLOBAL

Expo 2025 Osaka, which will be led by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), is scheduled to open on 13 April 2025 and will continue for six months. The event is being master planned by Sou Fujimoto Architects in collaboration with two other Japanese studios, Tohata Architects & Engineers and Azusa Sekkei.

Learn more about other pavilions that have been revealed for the event, including the Kuwait Pavilion by LAVA, the USA Pavilion by Trahan Architects, the Saudi Arabia Pavilion by Foster + Partners, and more.