Located on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka, the Saudi Arabia Pavilion for Expo 2025 represents a harmonious balance between cultural identity, contemporary design, and environmental responsibility. Designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Journey, the Pavilion draws inspiration from traditional Saudi villages, featuring angular buildings, narrow alleyways, and a spacious central courtyard that shapes the spatial experience.
Visitors enter through a gently sloped forecourt lush with vegetation. This welcoming space also acts as a natural barrier against wind and sunlight. From here, shaded walkways lead toward the central courtyard quiet and contemplative by day, and alive with cultural events and performances by night. Surrounding the courtyard are immersive exhibition spaces that recreate everyday life in Saudi cities through a blend of light, sound, and visual storytelling.
The Pavilion was built using a modular system combining steel frames with precast concrete slabs. This method ensures fast, precise, and safe construction while minimizing the use of concrete in the foundations. The result is a lightweight, earthquake-resistant structure, an essential feature in Osaka’s seismic context with a low environmental impact.
The building envelope features lightweight stone composite panels sourced from Saudi Arabia. These elements are removable and reusable, offering flexibility for future repurposing after the Expo. The design responds to local climate conditions by harnessing cool western winds in summer and shielding from cold northern drafts in winter.
Sustainability
Aligned with the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative, the Pavilion integrates rooftop solar panels and high-efficiency LED lighting. All materials have been carefully selected for their environmental sustainability and long-term durability.
Immersive Experience
A continuous soundscape accompanies visitors throughout the exhibition journey, adding emotional depth and intuitively guiding them from one thematic area to another.
The Saudi Arabia Pavilion celebrates the Kingdom’s cultural heritage while projecting it into an innovative and sustainable future, a story of transformation grounded in tradition and propelled by global vision.
