EUROPEAN UNION PAVILION Theme: Nurturing Tomorrow Size: 317 m² Entrant: Facts and Fiction GmbH, www.factsfiction.de/en Design: Facts and Fiction GmbH Fabrication: GL Events Additional Contributors: Grosse8, Yes We Can, Motor, Loowie, BeWunder, Ryokukou Garden Photos: Stefan Schilling Fotografie Video: Cinewerk GmbH
Under the theme Nurturing Tomorrow, the European Union’s pavilion offers a forward-looking and emotionally resonant vision of Europe as a collaborative, inclusive, and sustainable force in the world. Reflecting the principles of the New European Bauhaus — sustainable, beautiful, together — the pavilion invites visitors into a spatial narrative where nature, technology, and culture converge to inspire collective action and care for the future.
The pavilion’s architecture draws on Japanese traditions, featuring a façade inspired by Ema plaques and origami’s folded geometry. Bamboo petal-like modules rotate with the wind, creating a kinetic, breathing structure that reflects environmental awareness and openness. Inside, visitors enter a lush, green space with locally sourced plants from Osaka, which will be returned after the Expo. The interior offers a sensory-rich, meandering path through interconnected thematic zones, each resembling a small garden pavilion with lightweight circular roofs providing symbolic shade.
The design embraces multisensory elements: Pastel textile curtains add warmth, mirrored surfaces expand space visually, and a soundscape evokes the outdoors. Earthy scents enhance immersion, while daylight-like lighting creates natural patterns of brightness and shadow. Accessibility is integral, with tactile floor guides, raised-relief maps, interactive exhibits, and a media guide for visually impaired guests, ensuring an inclusive experience that reflects the EU’s values of diversity and unity.
Sustainability is practiced through natural, recyclable materials like bamboo, cork, coffee grounds, and paper, highlighted by material tags that share their ecological stories. The exhibition features playful interactive displays, including the Zen Robot that rakes sand and greets visitors in 24 EU languages, touch-responsive plant installations, and digital origami doves symbolizing peace and cooperation.
The EU pavilion showcases European innovation and commitment through its inclusive, multisensory design and meaningful sustainability, offering a hopeful vision of a better future nurtured together.
