The architectural competition for the design of the Czech pavilion for the world exhibition Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan was won by the studio Apropos Architects with a glass spiral. The studios A69 Architekti and Mjölk finished behind him. The office of the General Commissioner for the participation of the Czech Republic in the exhibition will now begin the study of negotiations, by the end of April a multidisciplinary team will be formed to ensure the pavilion project. This was announced at today's press conference by Commissioner General Ondřej Soška and representatives of the seven-member jury that selected from 38 projects.
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The facade of the pavilion is designed from sheet sintered glass. The use of glass was a priority for the studio, as its craftsmanship has a tradition in the Czech Republic. The theme of the pavilion is “sculpture of vitality”.
“As a society, we will live to old age in full force. To strengthen our inner vitality, we also need to be aware of social and cultural values, to constantly remind and strengthen them. That's why a pavilion made of wood and glass, crafted and creatively conceived, filled with Czech art and creativity. In the shape of a dynamic spiral as the most ideal path,” said architect Nikoleta Slováková from the Apropos Architects studio.
The proposal was created in collaboration with Terezá Šváchová and the Lunchmeat studio. In addition to the Czech Republic, the Apropos Architects studio is also represented in Zurich and The Hague. It implemented a number of projects in European cities, from apartment buildings to large urban complexes.
The Commissioner General will now start negotiating with the winner about the parameters and terms of the contract. “If we don't come to an agreement for any reason, we will continue to negotiate with the second and possibly third in line,” he noted. The contract should be signed by the end of March, followed by a permit procedure in Japan, where it is necessary to present and defend the project to the local authorities and obtain a building permit.
“If everything goes well, we should have the building permit in October, when we will intensively start working on the preparation of tender documentation for the public contract for the contractor,” added Soška. The pavilion should be completed by the beginning of 2025 at the latest.
The open architectural competition was last held before the exhibition in Hannover, which took place in 2000. In addition to Czech architectural studios, bidders from Slovakia, Britain, and Germany also submitted bids this year and Cyprus. The special prize of the jury was won by the design of Plus One Architects studio for the concept of a mushroom-shaped pavilion.
The proposals were evaluated by a jury composed of experts from various fields. It was made up of architect and designer Eva Jiřičná, Kengo Kuma and Associates studio partner Balázs Bognár, Slovak car designer Jozef Kabaň, chairman of the Czech Chamber of Architects Jan Kasl, architect Markéta Smrčková, businessman Martin Wichterle and general commissioner Soška. However, other people also took part in the evaluation, there were 13 of them in total.
The exhibition will take place between April and October 2025, its main theme is “creating a future society for our lives”. According to Soška, the organizers expect attendance of up to 28.5 million people. The organizers have already allocated the Czech Republic land for the pavilion, it is located on the seashore on the promenade. It is a space that the Czech Republic preferred.
Expo will return to Osaka after 55 years. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, approximately 11 million people visited the Czechoslovak pavilion of the architect Viktor Rudiš at the time.
The government confirmed the participation in the exhibition and the concept with which the Czech Republic will present itself at the end of last June. The budget for Czech participation is to be 290.2 million crowns for the years 2023 to 2026. Another 170 to 220 million will come from external sources.
