The Spain Embassy in Tokyo says its pavilion at next year’s expo in western Japan will feature sustainable technology using marine resources. It will also draw inspiration from an ocean current that has connected the two countries for centuries.
The embassy made the announcement on Thursday. The 2025 World Exposition in Osaka is scheduled to open in April 2025.
The embassy says the pavilion’s concept will be based on the Kuroshio Current in the Pacific Ocean. The warm-water current normally flows from southwest to northeast along the southern coast of the Japanese archipelago.
The current was used for navigation by Spanish seafarers during what is known as the Age of Discovery more than 400 years ago.
The pavilion’s front is intended to represent the sea and sun as symbols of Spanish life and culture. The facade will consist of a blue stairway and an orange, circular entrance.
The pavilion will feature technology that can preserve historic remains on the seafloor. It will also showcase a technology that produces fuel and medicine from algae and other marine resources to help realize a sustainable society.
The pavilion will have a restaurant offering Spanish appetizers known as tapas, many of which are smaller versions of main-course dishes.
Concerns have been raised that the construction of foreign pavilions at the expo site is behind schedule. But the embassy says its pavilion should be completed on time without any design change if work continues at its current pace.
The architect who designed the pavilion, Nestor Montenegro, says the cultures of Japan and Spain have been historically connected through the oceans. He adds that he wants to convey the importance of protecting the oceans.
