​​"ICE CUBE"

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"MANY YEARS LATER, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."— G. García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (translated by Gregory Rabassa).

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In One Hundred Years of Solitude, the Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author G. García Márquez vividly captures, through his magic realism, the moment a boy witnesses ice for the first time in the mythical town of Macondo. Drawing inspiration from this poignant scene, the Colombian Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo embraces the concept of ICE CUBE, featuring a façade design composed of numerous translucent cubes set in various directions, to convey a sense of movement and articulation. At first, the façade presents the visitors with an unlikely association between the country of Colombia and Ice Cubes, only for this connection to unravel as the visitors venture through the pavilion.

The façade ice cubes are constructed from semi-transparent polycarbonate panels and illuminated with lights that can be color-controlled, allowing the façade to take on different expressions throughout the day and night. This dynamic lighting will captivate visitors' attention, serving as a platform to showcase Colombian culture during the Expo. Inside the pavilion, visitors can savor Colombian coffee, a national specialty, at a bar counter located in the entrance hall.

Given the temporary nature of Expo pavilions, the design focused on a short construction period, low cost, and recyclable materials. The main structure was built using a prefabricated light steel frame system, sitting on a floating foundation to mitigate the limitations of the soil conditions on site. 

The simple, spacious structure of the light steel frame system allows for flexibility in accommodating various exhibitions, while part of the dug-out space for the floating foundation is efficiently utilized as a mezzanine floor for back-of-house areas. Combining the story-driven façade design with a practical, environmentally sustainable main building, the Colombia Pavilion stands as a fitting and striking presence at the Expo—a place where different cultures converge.

At the same time, the decision to utilize a modular prefabricated light steel structure was driven not only by the need to accelerate construction but also by a vision for the pavilion’s life beyond the temporary Expo event. Its distinctive structural design ensures adaptability, enabling a seamless transition to a more permanent setting beyond the Expo grounds. Discussions are already underway to define the next chapter of its journey.

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Project info:

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Name: Colombia Pavilion Osaka Expo 2025
Architect: MORF Inc.
Location: Osaka, Japan
Client: ProColombia
Site area: 875,89 sqm
Footprint area: 513,42 sqm
Total floor area: 584,44 sqm
 
Project director: Karim Chahal
Principal architect: Ko Oono
Lead architect: Masaki Suzuki
Project architects: Won Sungmin, Gen Kurokawa
Assistant project manager: Maki Nomura
 
Associate architect: AA-DC
Project architect: Nicole Del Santo
Structural design: Ando Imagineering Group (AIG)
Lead structural designer: Kosaku Ando
Structural designer: Toshiki Tanabe
 
General contractor: Sakane Sangyou Inc.
Construction manager: Tsunehiko Muroi
Modular structure contractor: NS Hi-Parts
Representative director: Atsushi Morioki
Landscape design & construction: 1moku Landscape Design & Research
Lead landscape architect: Hirofumi Suga

Exhibition design & construction: Sigongtech
General managers: Junseok Kang, Karen Ko
Lead designer: Hansol Lee
Senior designers: Hanna Lee, Sohee Jang​

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