spherical swiss pavilion at expo 2025 osaka draws from floating bubbles

five spheres house immersive zones that guide visitors through switzerland’s innovation landscape.

myrto katsikopoulou April 18, 2025 3 min

Bubble-inspired forms emerge at Expo 2025 Osaka

At Expo 2025 Osaka, Switzerland presents its national pavilion, describing it as ‘the lightest ever constructed in its history’. Designed by Manuel Herz Architects in collaboration with Nüssli and landscape architect Robin Winogrond, the pavilion features scenography and exhibition design by Bellprat Partner. It introduces a series of interconnected spherical volumes that define both its spatial and symbolic language. Recalling the form of floating bubbles, the architecture houses five immersive zones that guide visitors through Switzerland’s innovation landscape under the theme From Heidi to High Tech.

These spherical forms — visually light yet structurally robust — reflect the pavilion’s broader sustainable design strategy. The architectural layout, lighting concept, and scenography are conceived as an integrated whole, creating a cohesive visitor experience rooted in clarity, contrast, and continuity.

spherical swiss pavilion at expo 2025 osaka draws from floating bubbles - 1 — the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka | image courtesy of FDFA, Presence Switzerland

folklore, future tech, and sensory design blend in Swiss pavilion

Visitors begin their journey through a large-scale paper cutting, referencing traditional Swiss silhouettes while setting the tone for a narrative that merges heritage with contemporary research. From there, they move through four ‘spheres of innovation,’ each focused on topics including artificial intelligence, environmental sensing, and outer space exploration. These installations use a combination of light, sound, motion, and interactivity to translate complex ideas into tangible spatial experiences.

A highlight of the second sphere is a large soap bubble installation — a kinetic, ephemeral environment that invites interaction and evokes the balance between playfulness and precision. The tour concludes with a contemporary interpretation of Heidi, connecting cultural memory to the future-facing themes explored throughout the pavilion.

‘When ideas, plans, and renderings come to life in space, and visitors immerse themselves with smiles — that’s what makes it all worth it,’ says Arnau Bellprat, creative director at Swiss firm Bellprat Partner.