Osaka Expo 2025 showcases Belgian expertise
Designing a pavilion for a world exhibition is a dream come true for many architects, but also a considerable challenge. Camille Descamps and Aurore Dosogne, respectively the architect and the interior designer for Carré7, leaped at this unique opportunity to be the brains behind the Belgian pavilion for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. In Unilin, they found an enthusiastic and innovative partner.
In short,
- Unilin is a partner of Belexpo, the organisation that awards the contract for the building of the Belgian pavilion at international expos.
- Several Unilin products will be used in its construction, including insulation materials, flooring and Clicwall panels.
The central theme of water
The theme of Expo 2025 is: Designing Future Society for Our Lives. The Belgian pavilion will be in the Saving Lives section. “Water is both a future asset and a constraint. It’s an asset as it’s vital to life, the economy and technology. It’s also a constraint because water shortages and flooding have compelled us to re-examine the way we manage it,” explains Camille Descamps.
“This year’s theme of water was our inspiration throughout the pavilion,” she continued. “The pavilion is designed to look like a giant ice cube: water in its solid state. It also has a ramp around it for people to walk along, creating a river-like flow, representing water in its liquid state. The roof will be covered with large bubble-like structures, representing water in its gaseous state. Inside the building there will be a waterfall, an allegory of life itself.”
The challenge: everything must be easily disassembled
In principle, the pavilions built for international exhibitions are temporary structures. However, Belexpo wanted to make an inspiring sustainable pavilion. How could they make something both temporary and sustainable? Camille Descamps explains: “The Belgian pavilion will have a second life: after the exhibition it will be taken down and reconstructed elsewhere. This means using collapsible building elements and sourcing reusable materials.
Interior designer Aurore Dosogne is responsible for the pavilion’s interior decor. She specifically looked for suppliers who could meet the requirement for sustainable materials that can be easily dismantled. Unilin was one such supplier who could meet the brief. Dosogne says: “Unilin really won us over with its products, which were as attractive as they were sustainable and innovative, such as Clicwall. Its recycled MDF panels are perfect for room dividers and partition walls. What’s more, Clicwall panels can be easily disassembled and reused, which was entirely consistent with this project’s philosophy. We loved this product so much that we’re definitely going to be using it again in future projects.”
This is not the first time Unilin has been involved in sponsorship, having previously sponsored the Belgian pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai. For the Osaka Expo, it will be supplying insulating materials, vinyl flooring, HPL panels and carpet tiles. These products not only are easily disassembled but also are designed to withstand high visitor footfall levels. Dosogne continues: “When you’re designing a project like this, it is vital that you take account of the high footfall levels involved. What this means in practical terms is that flooring needs to be sturdy and easy to clean.”
Showcasing Belgian expertise
“Belexpo was keen to showcase Belgian expertise, and indeed that of Europe at large,” Dosogne explains. “So we collaborated with cutting-edge Belgian companies, enabling us to demonstrate the merits of notable Belgian specialities, such as its bluestone, brick and Belgian furniture.”
“Then, we had to win over the Japanese organisers, who didn’t understand our insistence on importing Belgian products. So we invited them over to Belgium, to meet the Belgian suppliers themselves. They were really impressed by the businesses they visited, especially Unilin.”
The designer and the architect both agreed that satisfying all three criteria of comfort, durability and good looks was a formidable challenge. “We had to broaden our knowledge of materials and call upon not only our own creative skills, but those of our partners, sub-contractors and suppliers as well. It was a genuine team effort,” said Descamps.
Expo 2025 will be held in Osaka, Japan, from 13 April to 13 October 2025. Construction of the Belgian pavilion is currently underway. Want to know more about the project? Keep up with the latest progress on the building works via the gallery on the Belexpo website.