Woo Architects updates design for UK Pavilion at Osaka Expo 2025
London studio Woo Architects has redeveloped its design for the UK Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, which will now pay homage to the innovations of English mathematician Ada Lovelace.
The pavilion will be defined by perforated aluminium panels intended to evoke punched cards – a type of card punctured with holes and once commonly used for inputting data to computers.
It replaces a more pared-back design revealed by Woo Architects and Japanese contractor ES Global early last year, which was lined with digital screens and centred around the principles of circular economy.
According to Woo Architects, the new design aligns with the theme Come Build The Future and celebrates the work of Lovelace, who is known as the world's first computer programmer.
Specifically, it references her use of punched cards to instruct the Analytical Engine – a prototype steam-powered programmable computer designed by engineer Charles Babbage – in the early 1840s.
"The pavilion's design celebrates Britain at a pivotal moment; our global reputation for innovation and creativity shines through, while the playful facade reflects our innate curiosity and ability to find opportunity in every challenge," the studio's director of culture Emma Owens said.
"This is a space where a rich historic narrative comes alive, and we hope it inspires conversations about British resilience and industriousness for years to come."
According to Woo Architects, while celebrating the role of Lovelace in computer programming, the pavilion will also nod to the role of textile industries in the 19th century. The panels will be arranged in an undulating pattern, intended to evoke woven fabric.
"These strands have been intertwined using a weaving technique, paying homage to the textile industries which were instrumental in the Industrial Revolutions which took place in both Manchester and Osaka during the 19th century," said the studio.
As per the original design, the pavilion will be constructed using modular components to enable its structure, floor plates and external cladding to be easily disassembled. Woo Architects hopes this will enable it to be easily relocated after the event.
The specific method that will be used is ES Global's Global Modular System, which it developed to meet the "time-critical needs of clients" while being adaptable and reusable.
The upcoming World Expo is set to take place on the artificial island Yumeshima in Osaka Bay from 13 April to 13 October 2025. It has been masterplanned by Sou Fujimoto Architects in line with the theme titled Designing Future Society for Our Lives, set by organisers Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
Sou Fujimoto Architects recently released construction photos of The Grand Ring, a vast wooden structure designed to encircle the pavilions at the event.
Other national pavilions revealed so far include a cluster of angular volumes for Saudi Arabia that Foster and Partners is modelling on the kingdom's traditional villages and a "canyon" designed by Trahan Architects for the USA.
Today, the mascot for the UK Pavilion was also unveiled. Named PIX, it is made from red, blue and white building blocks and can be transformed into various shapes.
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