The Sankei Shimbun 
Sou Fujimoto (second from left), the Grand Ring's design producer, at the certification ceremony on March 4. Yumeshima, Konohana Ward, Osaka.
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On March 4, the Grand Ring, built for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's largest wooden architectural structure. A certification ceremony was held at the Expo site on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka.
The wooden ring roof covers a total area of over 61,000 square meters (about 656,000 square feet). The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition calls it the "symbol" of Expo 2025.
Scale and Design
The structure reflects the Expo's philosophy of "unity in diversity." During the ceremony, architect Sou Fujimoto shared his vision for the structure, saying, "Despite the growing divisions in the world, I hope this serves as a message that we can still stay connected."
The massive circular structure has an outer diameter of 675 meters and a circumference of 2 kilometers, standing up to 20 meters tall at its highest point.
Approximately 27,000 cubic meters of timber were used in its construction, including domestically sourced Japanese cypress and cedar, as well as European red pine. The Grand Ring was completed on February 27.
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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