France Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo 2025 / Carlo Ratti Associati + Coldefy
Designed by French architecture studio Coldefy with Italian design and innovation practice CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati. The France Pavilion is envisioned as a 'theatre of life', where architecture frames moments of presence, movement, and interaction. Inspired by a mise-en-scène, or stage design and arrangement, the Pavilion is designed as a fluid sequence of spaces, guiding visitors through changing perspectives that mirror the rhythms of daily life – the beginning, transition, pause, and departure. The design draws inspiration from the Japanese legend of Akai Ito, the invisible red thread connecting destined souls. In a time defined by digital estrangement, the Pavilion reclaims physical space as a medium for dialogue. A quiet inner garden offers refuge, emphasizing that encounters with nature are just as vital as those with one another. Its shifting façade, with 17 meters high fabric veils resembling theatre curtains suspended down two sides, is in contact with the elements and responds to light and wind. The pathway through the Pavilion follows a carefully choreographed progression – ascending towards an exhibition displayed inside, alternating between enclosed and open-air spaces, and concluding with a return to the wider Expo site.
Designed by French architecture studio Coldefy with Italian design and innovation practice CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati. The France Pavilion is envisioned as a 'theatre of life', where architecture frames moments of presence, movement, and interaction. Inspired by a mise-en-scène, or stage design and arrangement, the Pavilion is designed as a fluid sequence of spaces, guiding visitors through changing perspectives that mirror the rhythms of daily life – the beginning, transition, pause, and departure. The design draws inspiration from the Japanese legend of Akai Ito, the invisible red thread connecting destined souls. In a time defined by digital estrangement, the Pavilion reclaims physical space as a medium for dialogue. A quiet inner garden offers refuge, emphasizing that encounters with nature are just as vital as those with one another. Its shifting façade, with 17 meters high fabric veils resembling theatre curtains suspended down two sides, is in contact with the elements and responds to light and wind. The pathway through the Pavilion follows a carefully choreographed progression – ascending towards an exhibition displayed inside, alternating between enclosed and open-air spaces, and concluding with a return to the wider Expo site.
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