Designer of the pavilion SHIN TAKAMATSU
04/13/2025
10/09/2024
08/22/2024
Published in the magazine Nikkei architecture (ver.08/22/2024)
04/15/2024
12/01/2023
10/18/2023
05/30/2022
02/10/2022
Participating Exhibitors of “Pavilion Hosting” in Expo 2025 Tentatively was Decided
TADAIMA - “I am Home”
No matter what changes as times go by
The word will never lose its value
The pursuit of a happy “life” is a universal goal for all “living” beings. The Pavilion with the Mobius image serves as a symbol, embodying thoughts and expectations for a vibrant happy “life” characterized by preservation, cycles, inheritance, and growth.
Visitors can experience a “future society where everyone can naturally enjoy a long, healthy, safe and comfortable life."
Inheriting tradition and connecting it to the future, the symbolic Nishijin textile, with a legacy of over 1200 years, has been incorporated into the building's exterior appearance.
Pavilion Designer:
Shin Takamatsu
The visionary mind behind the pavilion is Shin Takamatsu, an esteemed architect with a global presence and an office based in Kyoto.
Renowned for his international architectural contributions, Mr. Takamatsu has skillfully translated innovative ideas into the distinctive design of this complex 3D building, featuring a unique Mobius motif never before seen in the world.
"Sustainable Moubius" Architecture that
Combines Tradition and Evolution
Three Key Persons Talk about
Their Thoughts on the Pavilion
The construction work of the Joint Pavilion Iida Group x Osaka Metropolitan University has been underway since 2023. We report on the progress of the construction of the world's largest Nishijin Textile structure.
Research and Development
Osaka Metropolitan UniversityYutaka Amao
Iida Group Holdings Co., Ltd.Atsushi Hirokawa
Construction
Shimizu CorporationShotaro Takenaka
Production of
Nishijin textiles
Taiyo Kogyo CorporationKanako Nakatani
Diorama production
Tanseisha Co., Ltd.Hiroshi Nakai
Exhibition production
Zycc CorporationKenichi Kodama
Management
T-LIVE Ltd.Koki Hirano
Producer
Content plannerTakaya Someya
How was the innovative idea of the world's largest “Nishijin textile architecture” realized? How did this pavilion, the first of its kind in Japan to be created through industry-academia collaboration, come to be so attractive? We will introduce the enthusiasm and the path of challenges of the key figures involved in this project.
Background of joint exhibition
Iida Group Holdings and Osaka Metropolitan University are making history by jointly participating in the International Exhibition 2025, marking the first-ever collaboration of its kind in Japan.
Blending Tradition and Evolution
Envisioning a society where life radiates brilliance,
and aspiring for a world of happiness for all who live.
Happiness, with its varied individual meanings, is found in routine activities such as morning breakfast, meals, work, entertainment, and a peaceful sleep at night.
It is these daily rituals that shape our lives, contributing to a sense of contentment.
A happy life is perceived when one's daily routine is secure, interconnected, and nurtured.
Welcome to our Pavilion, where you can think about life from a “shelter” point of view together with us Iida Group.
We have strived to realize a society where anyone can own a house.
Aspiring after the world where not only the human beings but all other living things can appreciate the daily life they take for granted. That is the initial stride towards establishing a sustainable society. The Pavilion adorned with the Mobius image stands as a symbol, encapsulating thoughts and expectations for a bright “life” marked by preservation, cycles, inheritance, and growth.
An image formed by twisting a long, thin strip and securing both ends together, creating a seamless surface without a clear distinction between front and back. This image is often employed as a symbolic pattern representing concepts of “infinity” and “eternity.”
In showcasing a timeline that connects the past to the future, we utilize Nishijin textile on the exterior walls, incorporating the latest state-of-the-art technologies. The extraordinary beauty arising from the amalgamation of advanced and traditional technologies, emphasizing the importance of preservation and transmission to the future, becomes a symbol of our aspiration to build a future society where everyone can lead wonderful life.
Land area: Approximately 3,500 sqm
Number of storeys: 1 basement, 2 storeys
Maximum height: (4 edges) approximately 12.3m, (6 edges) approximately 12.7m
Structure: Frame screen structure, partial steel structure
Contractor: Shimizu Group
Nishijin production: Hosoo Co., Ltd.
Inheriting tradition and forging a link to the future, the symbolic Nishijin textile, with a history spanning over 1200 years, graces the exterior of our building. We proudly present to you the world’s largest Nishijin Textile structure, which was born in collaboration with “Hosoo”, a company which has a long Nishijin Textile history.
Nishijin textile is a dyed yarn fabric crafted in Nishijin, Kyoto. Renowned globally as Japan's premier high-quality silk fabric, it holds recognition as a national traditional handicraft.
We've seamlessly incorporated the latest cutting-edge technologies into our Nishijin textile goods. While traditional Nishijin-ori typically boasts a standard width of 23 centimeters, ideal for the size of “Obi,” we've taken a revolutionary step forward. Utilizing our exclusive Hosoo spinning machine and 3D mapping, we've created a 3D fabric capable of weaving Nishijin-ori with an impressive width of up to 150 centimeters, setting a new global standard for textile goods.
Beautifying and decorating are essential aspects of human existence. We aspire to craft beauty through renovations, ensuring that it endures and is passed down to the next generations.
Exterior Cooperation
Hosso Company Limited
General Director and Chairman
Masataka Hosoo
The twelfth-generation leader of Nishijin-ori at Hosoo. He spearheads the development of enhanced textile goods through the fusion of Nishijin-ori and advanced technology. His collaborative efforts extend to partnering with eminent tailers and artists. With a vision for creativity that transcends the confines of traditional textile industries, he is actively scripting a new chapter in the history of Nishijin textile craftsmanship.
In the first year of Genroku (1688), the founder received the family name “Hosoo” from Honganji, making the establishment of the company in Nishijin, Kyoto. Dedicated to preserving the traditional textile techniques of Nishijin while seamlessly integrating advanced technologies, the company has crafted distinctive textile fabrics. The efforts have not only introduced the beauty of Nishijin craftsmanship and Kimono culture not only to Japanese people but also to those around the world.
Pavilion Designer
Shin Takamatsu
Design Concept:
Exhibition Design Concept:
A large oval-shaped city of a diorama model with the major axis of 24 m and the minor axis of 15 m, in and around which all the necessary exhibition items are arranged, that is to say, one-room, three-dimensional type exhibition plan needed me to realize the very comprehensive pavilion. The complex, three-dimensional shape supported by curved structure materials such as main arch, sub arch, ring girder and the like, which I thought would be necessary to create the comprehensive pavilion, led to “Mobius” as the very symbol.
Background Overview:
Education:
1971
Graduated from the Engineering Faculty, Architecture Department, Kyoto University.
1974
Completed a Master's in Architecture at the Postgraduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University.
1980
Completed a PhD in Architecture at the Postgraduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University.
Professional Affiliations:
Honorary Professor of Kyoto University.
Member of the Japan Architecture Institute.
Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects.
Honorary Member of the Dutch Architects Association (BDA).
Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
Career Timeline:
1980
Established Architecture Designing Office Shin Takamatsu.
1997
Appointed as a Professor at the Postgraduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University.
2013
Honorary Professorship conferred by Kyoto University.
Currently serving as the Director Representative of Architecture Designing Office Shin Takamatsu Company Limited.
Awards and Recognitions:
Japan Architecture Institute Award
General Director of National Land Agency Award
Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Achievement Award
Minister of Education Art Promotion Award
Urban Landscape Award
Excellent Public Architecture Award
Iida Group Holdings and Osaka Metropolitan University collaboratively established a joint research and development department with a focus on realizing “Future Housing.” The aim is to conduct research and development dedicated to creating homes, lifestyles, and a sustainable society centered around the theme of “health of human, society, and the earth.” The primary theme of the 2025 Exhibition in Kansai, Osaka is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” precisely encapsulating the envisioned future society. Recognizing the alignment of our ideas with the exhibition theme, we have participated in the pavilion with the support and collaboration of both the industry and academic circles.
Iida Group Holdings
Director, Honorary Chairman
Kazuhiko Mori
The alignment of the joint research and development department's longstanding activities by Osaka Metropolitan University and Iida Group Holdings with the theme of the Osaka-Kansai Exhibition, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” is a remarkable coincidence. We earnestly hope that Osaka will serve as a beacon, sharing with people around the world the envisioned “life environment of peace and happiness” that we aspire to create in the times ahead.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Public University Corporation Osaka
Shinichi Fukushima
President of Osaka Public University
Masahiro Tatsumisuna
It is a tremendous honor to have had the opportunity to showcase the outcomes of our collaborative research to the global audience at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, especially in the wake of Osaka Public University's recent establishment. This marks a historic occasion as it is the first time a company and a university have jointly exhibited at an international exposition in Japan. The pavilion will be graced by the presence of students from our university and beyond.
By disseminating initiatives centered around realizing “designing a future society where life shines” from the perspectives of students, universities, and companies, we aim to foster interactions between the youth who will lead the future and individuals from around the world. Together, we can work towards the realization of a happy future society. We remain committed to providing opportunities for people to contemplate and take meaningful action.