Czech pavilion delivers PEFC spiral success

23 May 2025 Sustainable construction

The Czech Republic’s national pavilion for Osaka Expo 2025 celebrates ‘Talent and Creativity for Life’ and has used PEFC-certified timber to create one of the tallest cross laminated timber (CLT) buildings in Japan.

Designed by Prague-based Apropos Architects, the Czech national pavilion contains 800m³ of PEFC certified Sylva™ CLT walls and floors from Stora Enso and was manufactured in the Czech Republic.

The timber structure includes a signature glazed spiral façade and inside features 402m² of exhibition space, with widths ranging from 1.8m to 7m and towers up to 12m in height.

The façade is a reminder of the Czech Republic’s rich tradition of glassmaking.

The main design concept is to highlight the ‘cultural wealth, ingenuity, and nature of the Czech nation’. A 260m long ‘educational’ path winds around the structure, before gradually rising four storeys to emerge on an observation deck with views over Osaka Bay.

The circular floor plan is divided into thirty-six equal sections that are structurally and visually integrated into the whole building. At its centre is a multifunctional auditorium making it a hub for learning and cultural exchange.

“Our partnership with the Czech national pavilion gives us a unique opportunity to present one of the tallest CLT buildings in Japan on the largest stage of global innovation,” says Lars Völkel, Executive Vice President for Stora Enso Wood Products division.

“Stora Enso already has a long history of supplying high quality posts and beams and sawn wood to Japan. I am sure the pavilion will serve as a stunning example of the unique structures that can be built using Sylva™ prefabricated wood-based products for low-carbon buildings.”

The timber structure is fully loadbearing and strong enough to withstand the region’s potential earthquakes and typhoons. In accordance with Osaka Expo’s construction philosophy, the structure’s factory prefabrication and modular design made assembly on-site as simple as possible. After the event it will be dismantled and return home to the Czech Republic to be used in a modified form, potentially as museum or gallery exhibition spaces.

“The Japanese government actively promotes timber use in construction, including non-residential buildings, to cut carbon emissions and support a circular economy,” adds Satoshi Yamada, Sales Director Japan, Wood Products, Stora Enso.

“This aligns with Stora Enso’s mission to do good for people and the planet by replacing non-renewable materials with renewable products.” 

The pavilion also uses timber components from Czech manufacturer AGROP NOVA, with a total of 155 PEFC-certified NOVATOP panels forming part of the wooden spiral walkway.  

The structure is being seen as not only a technical challenge, but the best of Czech industrial woodworking, craftsmanship, innovation and creativity.

“It is a tremendous honour for us to contribute to such a prestigious project as the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2025,” says Jiří Oslizlo, Chairman of AGROP NOVA.

“It is not just a representation of our country but also a showcase of the very best that the Czech Republic has to offer the world. My gratitude goes to everyone involved in this project, including Ondřej Soška, General Commissioner of the Czech participation at EXPO 2025, Apropos Architects, ARCHAPLAN S.R.O., and the A2 Timber team, which is responsible for the design and delivery of the wooden structure elements for Daisue Construction Co. Ltd.”

Osaka Expo is now open and runs until 13 October 2025. You can find PEFC-certified timber featured across many of the National Pavilions.

Photos: © Office of the Czech Commissioner General, EXPO 2025