SANAA’s ethereal pavilion at expo 2025 osaka explores a future of ‘better co-being’

better co-being pavilion to open at expo 2025 osaka

Japanese architecture group SANAA and researcher Hiroaki Miyata join forces to develop Better Co-being, an experiential pavilion that will soon take shape at Expo 2025 Osaka. Envisioned in a corner of the ‘Forest of Tranquility’ in the center of the festival site, the proposal falls under the thematic project, Resonance of Lives, which highlights the importance of co-creating a new world — one that respects all forms of life and prepares us for a future where every one them can prosper. ‘We are now at a turning point in reconstructing civilization, not only from an economic point of view, but also in the areas of the environment, human rights, education, and health,’ says the team at Expo 2025 Osaka.

sanaa spotlights new ways of sharing resources and data

Reflecting that vision, the Forest of Tranquility embodies two key points: creating better ways of sharing resources instead of fighting over them and connecting to one another rather than drawing boundaries that divide us. As a result, the forest becomes a symbol of a future society where humans share and co-create data. Organic matter is generated from light and water and distributed to the world. Amid this ecosystem-community, Better Co-being emerges as a pavilion without a roof or walls. The SANAA-designed structure appears as an abstracted group of trees or a data network that blends with the existing forest, symbolizing the union of natural and manmade resources. ‘We hope that this open pavilion, which will be a continuation of the ‘Forest of Tranquility,’ will be a place where a diverse range of people can gather,‘ concludes SANAA.

The Better Co-being pavilion is curated by Tokyo-based art critic and curator Yuko Hasegawa and will be on view at Expo 2025 Osaka (see more here) between April 13th, 2025, and October 13th, 2025. Producer Hiroaki Miyata, who is in charge of the thematic project, Resonance of Lives, will introduce the pavilion’s theme once open to the public. A professor at Keio University, Miyata’s research revolves around promoting social reform by utilizing data science and other scientific methods to improve society.

project info:

name: Better Co-being 

location: Forest of Tranquility, Osaka

architecture: SANAA | @sanaa_jimusho

lead architects: Kazuyo Sejima, Ryue Nishizawa 

producer: Hiroaki Miyata

curator: Yuko Hasegawa | @yukohasegawa1

program: Expo 2025 Osaska | @expo2025japan

dates: April 13 – October 13, 2025