A New Dawn on Common Ground: The Circular Vision of the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

At the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, the Netherlands Pavilion makes a bold statement about our shared future on Earth. Designed by RAU Architects in collaboration with DGMR, Tellart, and Asanuma Corporation, the pavilion showcases a radical commitment to sustainable architecture, circular material use, and renewable energy. With the theme “Common Ground”, the Dutch presence at the Expo invites global cooperation to address climate and material challenges.

A Symbol of Circular Design
The Netherlands Pavilion is fully designed for disassembly. Every element—from the steel load-bearing structure to the façade and interior finishes—is connected using visible joints and screws, ensuring easy dismantling. After its six-month showcase, the entire structure will be packed into shipping containers for relocation and reuse.

This circular approach is supported by Madaster material passports, assigning a digital identity to each building component. This ensures material transparency and traceability, allowing components to be efficiently reused in future projects—a concept with significant relevance for architects, interior designers, and product developers.

A Modular, Adaptive Pavilion
The design comprises two main volumes: an event space and a multifunctional area housing an experience zone, café, and shop. These two wings support a 10.6-metre diameter sphere—mirroring the “Sun of the Future” from Japanese artist Tarō Okamoto’s iconic Tower of the Sun (Expo 1970). This sphere, visible both inside and outside through a mirrored ceiling and rooftop, offers a powerful visual metaphor for interconnectedness and renewable energy.

Constructed to meet Japan’s stringent earthquake and typhoon regulations, the pavilion uses 1620 tons of steel—almost double the amount required for European standards. This robust structure is not just resilient but also entirely modular, making it a prime example of temporary architecture executed at scale.

Reflecting the Edonomy: Learning from Japan’s Circular Past
The pavilion draws historical inspiration from the Edo period (1603–1868), when Japan adopted a closed-loop economy. Known as the Edonomy, this system relied on material reuse, repair, and efficient resource management. From recycled paper and metals to repurposed tree bark, nothing went to waste. The Netherlands Pavilion pays homage to this heritage, reinterpreting it through contemporary technologies and design methodologies.

By integrating biobased strategies, material passports, and energy-conscious design, the structure becomes a manifesto for circularity—both in thought and practice.

A Platform for Sustainable Innovation
Visitors engage with the pavilion using a personal Orb, an interactive device that powers and responds to the exhibition. This participatory approach turns the pavilion into a living lab—a meeting ground for ideas, innovations, and international collaboration.

Whether you’re an architect exploring modular construction, a product designer investigating traceable materials, or a landscape architect seeking integration between built and natural systems, the Netherlands Pavilion offers rich insights into circular and sustainable design thinking.

Source: RAU Architects
Image Credits: Plomp