Austria. Composing the Future

A monumental wooden spiral welcomes visitors to the Expo 2025 in Osaka: the Austria Pavilion transforms music, architecture, and sustainability into an immersive experience, celebrating the universal power of composition.

A spiral that speaks of music and the future

The Austrian Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka stands out for a 16-meter high wooden spiral sculpture, designed by BWM Designers & Architects in collaboration with facts and fiction. This scenic element, which reproduces the opening bars of Beethoven's Ode to Joy, becomes a universal symbol of optimism and connection between cultures. The spiral not only represents an architectural gesture, but embodies the philosophy of Composing the Future: the future is not designed, it is composed.

Wood as a symbol of sustainability

Made of certified red spruce wood, the spiral showcases Austrian excellence in engineered wood construction, a sector in which the country is recognized as a global leader. The 91-meter-long structure, assembled using screwing instead of gluing, is completely demountable and reusable. Displayed outdoors, with visible joints and connections, it becomes a manifesto of sustainable architecture that combines tradition and innovation, in line with the urgency to reduce global CO₂ emissions.

Precision and International Collaboration

The spiral staircase was manufactured by a specialized Austrian company and shipped in ten containers to Japan, where it was reassembled by local workers. This process required advanced calculations and cutting-edge construction techniques. This dialogue between Austrian and Japanese expertise serves as a virtuous example of international collaboration in the field of timber engineering, highlighting how major events also provide opportunities for exchange and mutual growth.

The pavilion as an experiential space

Next to the spiral, the exhibition pavilion unfolds, a 490 sqm modular steel structure that integrates functionality and flexibility. Three rooms host an immersive journey: from the musical projection that opens the narrative, to the interactive notes that tell the story of today's Austria, to the Cathedral of the Future, a participatory space that invites visitors to imagine and compose tomorrow together. At the end, a staircase integrated into the spiral leads to a relaxation area with a café, VIP lounge, and panoramic terrace.

Between architecture, culture, and tradition

The architectural project expresses a perfect synthesis between national identity and international openness. The choice of music as a universal language, the use of wood as a material bridging the past and the future, the enhancement of dialogue with Japan - united by a love for wooden craftsmanship - make the Austrian Pavilion an example of how architectural projects can become cultural and symbolic tools. Even the gastronomic offer, with the traditional Kaiserschmarrn served in the forecourt, brings a piece of Austria to the heart of the Expo.

A symbol of optimism and connection

The final message of the pavilion is encapsulated in its very form: a spiral rising towards the sky, inviting reflection on movement, transformation, and joy as a universal force. Wood, music, and innovation intertwine in a single narrative that celebrates Austria as a cultural bridge and anticipates a future where sustainability and creativity are the true tools of progress.

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