The Australia Pavilion at World Expo 2025 Osaka, designed by global architecture practice Buchan, is themed ‘Chasing the Sun’ and inspired by the ubiquitous eucalypt tree and gumnut. Found across Australia, the eucalypt's many shapes and colours symbolise the diversity and dynamism of the Australian people. The Pavilion’s colourfully-lit outer shell takes its cue from a gumnut bursting into flower, a powerful symbol of new life and the boundless potential of future generations. It reflects the World Expo theme 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives'. Inside, a sensory bushwalk immerses visitors in the sights, sounds and feel of being ‘on Country’, inviting connection with the continuous living culture of Indigenous Australians. The design showcases Australia’s unique, natural beauty and creates a canvas for sharing Australia's stories, innovation and creativity.
Indigenous engagement
As Indigenous cultural advisors, Karrda’s Barbara Bynder and Farley Garlett wanted to ensure that the translation, presentation, and representation of Indigenous culture at World Expo 2025 is inclusive of all societies across Australia, respecting that Indigenous culture is not homogenous and not all stories are theirs to tell.
Bynder and the Karrda team worked closely with Buchan to embed the principles of caring for Country common to all Indigenous peoples and cultures throughout Australia into the design. The conceptual framework is based on the structure of song lines that traverse Country sharing deep knowledge between First Nations peoples across time and geography, recognising a living culture that continues to evolve.
Exhibition design
Inside the Australia Pavilion, the exhibition design is conceived as a bushwalk that captures the experience of walking on Country. Visitors are taken on an immersive, interactive journey that engages all the senses.
The experience ‘chases the sun’ across land, sky and sea Country, based on the structure and flow of the song lines that traverse the land and have shared knowledge between Indigenous peoples for tens of thousands of years. Moving between the real and surreal, and transitioning from day to night, the journey celebrates the world’s oldest continuous living cultures.
Visitors will engage with Australia’s physical beauty whilst learning about its people and achievements, acknowledging the past, present and future. The exhibition envisions placing connection and care for the environment at the heart of a thriving society. The Pavilion will invite visitors to reflect on how ancient traditions and modern innovation can unite to protect our planet for generations to come. A thought-provoking and inspirational environment encourages reflection and the exchange of ideas.
Cultural Precinct programming
Just as life bursts forth from a gumnut, the Australia Pavilion's canopy shelters a stage facing a landscaped visitor forecourt to create a lively cultural precinct. A full-service cafe offers Australian food and drink, whilst performances showcase contemporary Australia to the world, expressing the nation's unique culture and personality.
The cultural precinct is designed to foster connection, interaction and cultural exchange. It is an open, welcoming gathering point and includes a yarning circle within the landscape design that invites people to experience Australian hospitality.
Featuring music, dance, physical theatre, and screen content the program will celebrate diversity and amplify First Nations voices.
Invited guest experience
Behind the Australia Pavilion’s public spaces sits a welcoming Special Event Zone. Operating day and night, four function spaces can host events from intimate meetings through to large-scale functions and presentations. The spaces capture the essence of Australia’s rich physical environment and cultural diversity.
Aligned with the overarching theme of ‘Chasing the Sun’, connection to the outdoors and natural light is prioritised, directly through windows and through the tensile fabric shell that captures changing shadows across the day
Colour and materials reflect the diversity of the Australian landscape, from forest greens to ocean blues and desert reds. A focus on sustainability, Australian design, art and craft features throughout. Pendants and sculptural art made by Indigenous artists hang in the foyer, whilst lighting, carpet and furniture by Australian designers and manufacturers showcase the nation’s creativity and innovation.
Warm and generous hospitality within engaging, sensory-rich spaces provides a memorable and uniquely Australian experience that will stay with visitors when they leave.
Sustainability
The Australia Pavilion’s architecture is guided by sustainable design and circular economy principles, materials and delivery methodologies. As a temporary structure, equal consideration has been given to embodied and operational carbon.
The main structure of the Australia Pavilion uses the ES Global ‘Supertruss System’, a reusable steel framework previously utilised at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The carbon savings from reusing this system are substantial, reducing the footprint by approximately 87% over its full life cycle compared to manufacturing locally from new, even after accounting for shipping.
The framework supports a tensile fabric shell, a cost-effective and sustainable design solution thanks to minimal construction materials, a faster build and the energy savings of light permeability. The exhibition walls and ceiling panels are Durra Panel, an Australian-made product made from natural and renewable reclaimed wheat straw. 100 per cent recyclable and biodegradable, Durra Panel is fire resistant and has excellent acoustic performance and thermal insulation.
Hiring of mechanical services infrastructure and equipment and prefabricated structures for ancillary buildings minimises waste. Landscape elements have also been hired, while flora and established trees will be replanted. Reusable assets such as the exhibition grid can be redeployed in future structures.
Operationally, the Pavilion’s engineering infrastructure is tailored for the Kansai climate using high-efficiency fittings and equipment.
