Construction of the huge wooden roof "Ring" at the Osaka Kansai Expo site is underway. April 13, Yumeshima, Osaka (©Kyodo News)
On June 13 the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition (association) revealed that its plan for completing the construction of pavilion exteriors by mid-October had effectively collapsed. Specifically, the delays applied to Type A overseas pavilions whose countries are independently building pavilions for the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025.
For example, Officials from the Armenian pavilion, scheduled to begin construction in June, have confirmed they will miss the deadline. The association will likely need to revise its plans, including presenting a more realistic timeline.
Also according to the current schedule, interior renovations and exhibit installations should be finished by mid-January 2025. That would be comfortably ahead of the April 13 opening. However, the delay in completing the pavilion exteriors poses a domino risk of further delays potentially affecting the readiness of the pavilions for the opening.
Challenges for Countries Building Pavilions
Fewer countries have opted for Type A pavilions due to escalating material costs and ongoing labor shortages, among other factors. Originally, 60 countries opted for this category. Now the number stands at 53. However, 14 of these countries have yet to finalize their selection of contractors. Of the 39 countries that have chosen contractors, 31 have already commenced construction, while eight have not.
Initially, the association aimed to complete heavy machinery-related construction activities, including building assembly, roofing, and exteriors, by July 2024. However, countries building their own pavilions for Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai encountered difficulties finding contractors. As a result, the association announced a revised target in February.
Their revised goal was to complete major construction, including that using heavy machinery, by mid-October "at the latest." After that, they would focus on site pathways and other infrastructure, according to an association spokesperson.
Tight Schedule
Armenia finalized their contractor choice in late May and began construction in June. However, even with an anticipated completion of the exterior by November, they are unlikely to meet the mid-October deadline. Shuhei Endo, the 64-year-old architect responsible for the design, commented, "The design and construction schedules were both quite tight. Managing a project within these constraints is highly challenging."
The Armenian pavilion is slated for construction on the smallest of Type A pavilion sites. It is only about 900 square meters. Some pavilions whose contractors are not finalized are believed to have larger sites.
Even though Armenia has selected its contractor, completing the exterior by mid-October is challenging. For countries without confirmed contractors, it is considered virtually impossible. Some in the construction industry have suggested that "the schedule presented by the association is not realistic." They also say several pavilions are likely to be unfinished at the opening.
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(Read the report in Japanese.)
Author: Sarasa Shimizu
