Osaka-Kansei, Japan
“Gathering across cultures and world regions to share ideas and learn from each other is essential to building a more understanding and human world. The USA Pavilion at Expo 2025 offers a rare opportunity to explore these critical issues and engage in a global conversation on the future of our environment and our cities,” states Trey Trahan, Founder and CEO of Trahan Architects.
American Prize for Architecture laureate Victor F. Trahan III, Trey Trahan and the design team at Trahan Architects unveil the design of the USA Pavilion for EXPO 2025 Osaka, a temporary installation that invites visitors to explore USA to enjoy panoramic views of the country, and exhibitions that sustainability, space exploration, education, and entrepreneurship.
Inspired by traditional Japanese footbridges, a translucent cube suspended overhead serves as the centerpiece of the Pavilion, encouraging communal reflection about the interplay between humans, the built environment, and the environment.
The interior of the Pavilion boasts immersive displays and narratives that take guests to various urban and natural settings across the country and outer space.
An open, minimalist building, the USA Pavilion features an expansive plaza framed by panoramic LED screens depicting dynamic images of iconic American urban and natural landscapes.
At the center of the USA Pavilion, bridging the two wings of the building, is a brilliantly illuminated translucent cube, which is suspended overhead, appearing weightless in its simplicity, anchoring the plaza.
Inside the “canyon”, visitors become fully immersed in vistas of the United States, juxtaposed with the mirrored surface of the cube suspended overhead, creating an opportunity for contemplation on the relationship between people, the built world, and the environment.
Under the direction of Trahan Architects, the design team uses future-looking materials to integrate sustainability principles, such as repurposed steel and tensile fabric from dismantled Tokyo Olympic structures.
The pavilion aims to use sustainable materials, aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and supporting Expo 2025’s commitment to these objectives.
Project: USA Pavilion
Architects: Trahan Architects
Lead Architects: Victor F. Trahan III and Trey Trahan
Design Team: Kevin Thomas, Brian Richter, Ciarán Conlon, Tim Tamulonis, and Jason Kurzweil
Collaborators: ES Global Solutions, Alchemy Project Services (US) LLC., BRC Imagination Arts INC., Tripod, Hood Design Studio INC., Studio Loutsis, and Dot Dash
Renderings: Courtesy of the Architects
