Osaka, Japan
Kengo Kuma & Associates in partnership with Qatar Museums create together Qatar’s pavilion for the 2025 EXPO in Osaka, merges traditional craftsmanship from both Qatar and Japan, emphasizing the shared maritime heritage of the two nations, which serves as a source of resources and a channel for trade and knowledge exchange.
Drawing inspiration from Qatar’s traditional dhow boat construction techniques and Japan’s wood joinery heritage, the pavilion subtly combines cultural references to reinforce the bilateral relations between the two countries.
First images of the pavilion show a complex wooden structure covered in a veil of white fabric, a nod to the design of the traditional sailing vessels typically used for trading across the coasts of Eastern Arabia, East Africa, Yemen, and coastal South Asia.
The exhibition inside the pavilion will highlight the nation’s advancements towards the Qatar National Vision 2030 and showcase investment opportunities aimed at economic diversification under the Third Qatar National Development Strategy 2024-30.
Additionally, the exhibition will provide a unique experience reflecting the robust cultural, trade, and traditional connections between Qatar and Japan.
The pavilion is estimated to have a total area of over 1,200 square meters. A breaking ground ceremony has taken place this April, marking the beginning of the construction works.
Aligned with the Expo Osaka’s theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” aims to strengthen Qatar-Japan ties, highlight Qatar’s development, and promote it as a top tourist and business hub, showcasing its history, present, and future.
Project: Qatar Pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka
Architects: Kengo Kuma & Associates
Collaborator: Qatar Museum
Photographs: Courtesy of the Architects
