Apropos Architects will start preparing the Czech pavilion for Expo 2025

Prague - Today, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the general commissioner of Czech participation in the World Expo Ondřej Soška signed the contract for the construction of the Czech pavilion for Expo 2025 in Osaka with the managing director Michal Gabaš from the architectural studio Apropos Architects, which won the architectural competition. Soška announced the studio's victory with a seven-member jury on March 7, and based on the contract, the preparation of the pavilion's project documentation will now begin. The signing of the contract was also attended by Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (Pirates) and the Japanese ambassador to the Czech Republic Hideo Suzuki.

"We are only 744 days away from the start of Expo 2025, and the timeline is very tight. Therefore, I am pleased that we are successfully moving through important milestones, such as today's signing of the contract with the winner of the architectural competition," said Soška. He added that the selected project will showcase the art and creativity of Japan in the form of a unique pavilion made of Czech glass, which is typical for the Czech Republic.

The design of the pavilion by Apropos Architects was chosen by a seven-member jury, which selected from 38 competitors. The project documentation will also be prepared in collaboration with the Japanese studio Kino Architects. According to the contract, Apropos Architects must deliver the complete project by December 15 of this year, Gabaš stated. The implementation will then move to the next phase, where a tender for the construction contractor will be announced.

According to Gabaš, the pavilion will be clad with high-quality artistic Czech glass from the outside and will resemble a radiant spiral. The center of the pavilion will house an auditorium, which Gabaš indicated will serve as a multifunctional space, for example for exhibitions or concerts. A path will lead around the auditorium up to the roof of the pavilion, Gabaš outlined. He added that this path will also serve as an exhibition space for individual displays and exhibits.

"A visitor walking through the pavilion upwards experiences such an exclusive encounter combining the daylight of the exhibits and the gradually ascending path, ultimately reaching the roof of the pavilion with a beautiful view of the sea. We have a fantastic plot right on the coast," Gabaš told ČTK.

"The winning pavilion from the architectural office Apropos Architects, chosen by the jury led by prominent architect Eva Jiřičná, is, in my opinion, exceptionally visually and functionally attractive, and I am convinced it will provide a dignified home for the ambitious Czech national presentation at EXPO 2025," said Lipavský.

The expo will take place from April to October 2025, with its main theme being "Shaping Future Society for Our Lives." According to Soška, the organizers expect that up to 28.5 million people will visit the expo. The Expo returns to Osaka after 55 years. The then-Czechoslovak pavilion designed by architect Viktor Rudiš attracted approximately 11 million visitors, according to the MFA.

The government approved a budget of 290.2 million crowns for the Czech participation from 2023 to 2026. Another 170 to 220 million is expected to be funded from external sources.