Foster + Partners has unveiled design for the Saudi Arabia pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka, which will evoke the exploration of Saudi Arabian towns and cities. 

Set to be installed on the Yumeshima waterfront, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s pavilion is composed of fragmented irregular volumes that create pathways in between.

The Saudi Pavilion is aimed to provide "a setting for immersive audio-visual engagement and connects visitors with the undiscovered wonders of Saudi Arabia."

Overall view of the pavilion

Foster + Partners' Saudi Arabia pavilion is among one of national pavilions in a masterplan where Japanese architecture practice Sou Fujimoto Architects is developing on an artificial island Yumeshima in Osaka Bay, Japan. 

"The pavilion takes visitors on a journey of discovery and chance encounters that – layer by layer – paints a vivid picture of Saudi Arabian culture," said Luke Fox, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners. 

"Our design plays with scale, light, sound and texture to stimulate all of the senses, while showcasing some of the country’s most innovative and exciting accomplishments," Fox added.

The pavilion is made up of organic volumes that evoke "the organic shapes of traditional Saudi villages"

The pavilion has a dominant massing that "recalls the organic shapes of traditional Saudi villages". 

Carefully crafted the massing by using computational fluid dynamics simulations, the firm made analyses to allow cool winds from the west into the streets during the height of summer. 

For instance, in the cooler months of April and October, the landscaped forecourt is expected to function as a barrier to protect the pavilion from harsher northerly winds.

A verdant forecourt, makeing up the heart of the scheme, will welcome visitors to enter the pavilion, and the forecourt is planted with Saudi Arabian flora, and visitors are invited to walk through narrow streets that lead to the Saudi Courtyard.

The pavilion will feature a central courtyard

"The courtyard allows for moments of quiet reflection during the day and transforms into a venue for performances and events at night," said Foster + Partners in its project description. 

The firm said that "from here, visitors are invited to explore a ‘village’ of meandering streets, with windows and doorways into a series of immersive spaces, designed in close collaboration with London-based firms 59 Productions and Squint/Opera."

"Architecture and story have been woven together via this uniquely collaborative design process," said Leo Warner, Director, 59 Productions.

"The pavilion will be a social organism, incubating the work of contemporary Saudi practitioners in state-of-the-art facilities, and dynamically integrating their work into immersive experiences that evolve throughout the 6 months of Expo," Warner added.

Pathways inside the pavilion

For the pavilion, Foster + Partners will use low carbon materials, including energy saving luminaires, and the firm adopts rainwater recycling and incorporates photovoltaic technologies that generate electricity. Moreover, the project targets to achieve the Japanese green building rating system’s highest level and is on track to achieve the Net Zero Operational Carbon target. 

Occupants' healt and wellbeing are also given priority throughout the scheme, and according to the firm, the pavilion will incoporate a series of well design principles to enhance the health and wellbeing. 

"Creating a legacy for the pavilion, once the Expo comes to an end, has been central to the design process," said Tony Miki, Partner, Foster + Partners. 

"The structure’s cladding is made from lightweight Saudi stone and designed to be efficiently deconstructed and reassembled, or completely reconfigured, to meet different requirements in a future location," Miki added. 

The pavilion will be wrapped by audio-visual installations

According to the firm, due to the inherent flexibility of the scheme, it will significantly extend the lifespan of the pavilion and enhance its sustainable credentials.

Foster + Partners is designing a new centre with "multilevel infrastructure" in Hangzhou. The practice also unveiled a provisional concept for Dubai vertiport terminal, located next to Dubai International Airport (DXB). 

All images courtesy of Foster + Partners.

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concept Expo 2025 Osaka Foster + Partners pavilion