The Universal Exhibitions under the Expo event are held every five years. Different countries host the event and exhibitions. With a variety of cultural sections, the pavilions from different countries are one of the most attractive features of the Expo. The host of the next Expo in 2025 is Osaka, Japan. Competitions from different countries for the national pavilions have concluded and the Brazil Pavilion design from Studio MK27 and Magnetoscope has been selected for the exhibition. With various attendants from the country, second place was given to Thiago Manuel Bernardes’s design and third place was the project from Fábio Henrique Faria. The experimental and attractive theme in line with the sustainability issues, Studio MK27, and Magnetoscope’s pavilion design stood out and won the competition.
Expo Osaka 2025
The theme of Expo Osaka 2025 is Designing Future Society for Our Lives with sub-themes such as Saving Lives, Empowering Lives, and Connecting Lives. Each sub-theme will be held in different specified districts. The conceptual approach behind the exhibition is articulated as People’s Living Lab, a laboratory for a future society. This event aims to invite 8 billion people who will not only view the exhibition but also co-create future societies to think about global problems and trigger solutions for them together.
As the host, Japan aims to be the key point for reaching Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is the target the United Nations set to achieve by 2030, and also wants to achieve their national strategy Society 5.0. With this intercultural event, Japan also aims for visitors to realise the importance of bringing together wisdom from all around the world, expanding domestic and overseas investments, creating innovations with human interaction from different perspectives, and experiencing the rich Japanese culture.
Studio MK27
Studio MK27 was founded in the late ’70s by Marcio Kogan in Sao Paulo. The team of 30 architects describes themselves as admirers of the Brazilian modernism generation, and they aim to give continuity to this iconic architectural movement. The award-winning studio’s approach to design is connected with formal simplicity with extreme care and attention to detail.
Marcio Korgan led the Brazil Pavilion project in collaboration with various artists and architectural teams.
Magnetoscope
Magnetoscope is an award-winning cultural production company led by Marcello Dantas. The company has worked with permanent and temporary exhibitions, films, and interactive content for over 30 years. Marcello Dantas is one of the leading figures in Brazil’s convergence of art and technology. His works are being recognised both nationally and internationally.
Design for the Brazil Pavilion was a collaboration of Marcio Korgan and Marcello Dantas. The spatial and exhibition design continued in line, and the last project was a collective work.
The Brazil Pavilion
The design for the Brazil Pavilion from studio MK27 and Magnetoscope took the jury committee’s attention in the elections. The judging committee expressed that they find the project experimental and attractive for the visitors. Including sustainability agenda and making the pavilion accessible while creating experience-based ramps creates the opportunity to attract the public while visiting.
Although the project’s official description has yet to be published, the drawings and renders give an idea about the general approach. The ramps created for the entrance and exhibitions allow an experience for the cultural program to be seen from different angles. They found this participation with the national pavilion as a way to introduce their best Brazilianness and reflect the country’s image to the world. The three tunnels’ design as seen in the architectural drawings and renders where the cultural program is planned to be exhibited, can create a suitable environment for visitors to create relations and exchange ideas.
Apart from the experience design, the pavilion’s technical details are also considered sustainably. The experience being served needed to be comfortable with lighting, ventilation, and different technical services. While these parameters are included, the usage of passive systems rather than active systems has occurred. Meticulously designed systems represent the architect’s and pavilion’s sustainability concerns.
The Brazil Pavilion is designed under the sub-theme of “Empowering Lives” and will be located in the specified district for the theme. The Brazilian government encourages the country’s international event participation. The aim is to represent Brazilian culture, current conditions, and innovations internationally. With this approach, they aim to contribute to promoting intercultural business lines. These political backgrounds are also relational with the theme of empowering lives.
The Expo Osaka 2025 will start on 13 April and close on 13 October 2025. It will be an exciting opportunity to think about global issues from diverse perspectives. Architecture plays a vital role in these kinds of events to build a bridge between intercultural visitors and participants.
Resources:
- Johnston, E. (2021). Osaka expo plans quietly move forward despite cost and virus worries. [online] The Japan Times. Available at: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/01/12/national/osaka-expo-cost-coronavirus/ [Accessed 21 Dec. 2022].
- www.expo2025.or.jp. (n.d.). Purpose – Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition. [online] Available at: https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/overview/purpose/.
- Anon, (n.d.). Studio MK27 – Studiomk27. [online] Available at: https://studiomk27.com.br/studiomk27/ [Accessed 21 Dec. 2022].
- Anon, (n.d.). EXPO OSAKA 2025 – Studiomk27. [online] Available at: https://studiomk27.com.br/expo-osaka-2025/ [Accessed 21 Dec. 2022].
- magnetoscopio. (n.d.). ABOUT. [online] Available at: https://www.magnetoscopio.com.br/about [Accessed 21 Dec. 2022].
- ArchDaily. (2022). Studio MK27 and Magnetoscope Win Competition to Design the Brazil Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/993672/studio-mk27-and-magnetoscope-win-competition-to-design-the-brazil-pavilion-at-expo-osaka-2025 [Accessed 21 Dec. 2022].