Osaka, Japan
Named in Japanese “Wa! Doitsu,” the German Pavilion for the 2025 EXPO in Osaka , designed by by European Prize for Architecture laureates (2016) LAVA aka Laboratory for Visionary Architecture, Azusa Sekkei, Henning Larsen Architects, and Ryokukou Garden explores concepts around circularity, showcasing the “terminological culmination of the sustainability discussion.”
The architects have focused on returning all consumable goods to the cycle of the economy, achieving zero waste, and minimizing resource consumption, the theme is visible throughout the entire design.
For its sustainable design and qualities, the Germany Expo 2025 Pavilion has been awarded with a 2025 Green Good Design by the the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
According to the architects, the pavilion’s architecture and spatial design utilize seven round wooden structural elements, immediately conveying the theme of circularity.
Uniting nature and technology, the design blends the biosphere with the human-made technosphere to create an experiential visit.
The design features two cylindrical structures that house the exhibition and hospitality areas, merging into a freely accessible green space.
The design aims to illustrate how future architecture and urban development can combine circularity and lived experience by integrating nature and built environments within “closed material cycles.”
Additionally, it aims to combine architecture, landscape, and exhibition programs in one holistic experience, highlighting a circular future.
Regarding sustainability goals, the pavilion questions the regular workflow and outputs of designing, producing, and operating.
The German Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka is intended as a prototype for repurposing and reusing structures. Featuring a completely circular structure crafted with all reusable materials, the design uses key elements such as indoor climate design and innovative recycled materials to showcase these concepts.
Project: Wa! Germany—The German Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025
Architects: LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture) Stuttgart GmbH
Architects of Record: Azusa Sekkei Co., Ltd.
Landscape Architects: Henning Larsen Architects and Ryokukou Garden
General Contractor: GL Events Japan K.K.
Design Team: Tobias Wallisser and Christian Tschersich with Daniel Podrasa, Julia Sierpien, Giada Mirizzi, Philipp Farana, Tongobi Li, Thijs Maas Geesteranus, Nikolai Zaitsev, Margarita Volkova, and Leila Wallisser
Exhibition Designers: facts and fiction GmbH
Structural: STR.ucture and Azusa Sekkei
MEP: IGTech
Fire: brand+
Lighting Design: L2 Atelier
Client: German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy; Management: Koelnmesse GmbH; Consortium: ARGE Duetscher Pavillon EXPO 2025 Osaka / facts and fiction GmbH / GL Events Live SA / GL Events Japan K.K.
Photographers: LAVA and Hotaka Matsumara
