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The Hungarian Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka is designed to reflect the event's central theme, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives." It explores the relationship between humans and nature, emphasizing cultural heritage and sustainability through its architecture and exhibition. The pavilion will offer an immersive experience centered around music, heritage, and the connection between people and their environment.
The design features a landscape reminiscent of Hungarian meadows, with native plants and natural scents shaping the arrival experience. A symbolic forest structure and a wooden dome, resembling a haystack, define the pavilion's main spaces. The dome houses an immersive theater, where visitors will follow a stylized forest path accompanied by Hungarian folk melodies before entering a performance space beneath a star-lit ceiling. The exhibition explores the connection between Hungarian and Japanese musical traditions, particularly through the shared use of the pentatonic scale in folk music.
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Beyond the exhibition, the pavilion serves as a space for business and cultural exchange. The second floor is dedicated to conferences and networking opportunities for Hungarian and international companies. A bistro and wine bar will introduce visitors to Hungarian cuisine, while a gift shop will offer traditional products.
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"Architecture of the Future Should be in Harmony with Nature": In Conversation with Sou Fujimoto at the House of Music HungaryWith its focus on natural materials, music, and cultural continuity, the Hungarian Pavilion presents an experience that ties past traditions to contemporary design, offering a moment of reflection within the broader energy of Expo 2025. Inspired by traditional building techniques from both Hungary and Japan, the pavilion integrates natural materials and construction methods that highlight the connection between people and their environment. The design aims to create a seamless interaction between built and natural spaces, reinforcing the shared cultural values of both nations.
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The pavilion's integration of nature and cultural heritage echoes the work of Sou Fujimoto, the architect behind the House of Music Hungary, a cultural hub in Budapest's 200-year-old city park. The House of Music, designed as a transparent and immersive space, reflects Fujimoto's vision of combining architecture with nature, an approach that extends to his role as the master planner for Expo 2025 Osaka. His involvement in shaping the overall site framework aligns with the pavilion's intent to create an experiential and nature-driven environment.
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A key feature of the pavilion is its immersive theater space, which offers visitors a multisensory experience. Rather than a conventional exhibition, the space presents a live folk music performance, drawing on Hungary's rich musical traditions. The Kodály method, which emphasizes music as a universal language, serves as a conceptual link between Hungarian and Japanese cultures.
In other similar news, several countries have unveiled their designs for Expo 2025 Osaka, which will run from April 13 to October 13, 2025. The Chile Pavilion, designed by Constructo Architects, explores the fusion of industrialized wood (CLT) and traditional Mapuche textiles in a modular, transportable structure. Similarly, the Philippines Pavilion at Expo 2025 interprets traditional Filipino weaving in architecture, symbolizing interconnection, resilience, and cultural heritage. Finally, the Portugal Pavilion at Expo 2025, designed by Kengo Kuma, explores the theme "Ocean, The Blue Dialogue," highlighting Portugal's deep connection to the sea.