Osaka Expo’s iconic ring may be torn down

Expo 2025 Osaka is envisioned as a global stage for cutting-edge innovation, and nothing embodies this ambition better than the Grand Ring. The structure was designed by renowned architect Sou Fujimoto as a 2-kilometer circular path that unifies the entire fair. However, while the Expo’s legacy sparked debate at its closing, the iconic landmark is reportedly facing imminent destruction.

In a recent candid conversation with Architecture Magazine Online DezeenFujimoto said that for all he knew, most of his architectural wonders would likely be ground into wood chips and burned as fuel. Authorities have yet to confirm which part of the ring will be demolished, or how its remains will be repurposed, but Fujimoto’s studio appears to have no say in the ring’s future, leaving architects to watch from the sidelines.

Dismantling of a masterpiece

Covering an area of ​​over 61,000 square metres, the Grand Ring made headlines as the world’s largest timber-framed building. But by early December, just two months after the Expo, demolition crews were on site. Fujimoto said the demolition process was driven by political decisions rather than environmental logic, calling the plan to burn the wood “the worst thing that could happen.”

“Japanese politicians believe this is one of the ways to reuse [the Grand Ring]but I don’t think that’s the way to reuse it,” Fujimoto told Dezeen. “But at least so far in Japan, the idea of ​​sustainability is a bit behind global standards. ”

Fujimoto expects that only a small portion of the structure – about 10% (200 meters) – will be preserved in its original location. He said another 20 percent might be recycled for relocation, but he understood the remaining 70 percent would be dismantled and turned into fuel scraps.

Build for a century, use for a season

What frustrates Fujimoto most is that the ring is technically designed to last. it takes advantage of nucky Joinery – A traditional Japanese carpentry method that uses interlocking beams instead of nails. This meticulous technique has allowed Japan’s ancient temples to stand for more than a thousand years.

Because of this design, the Ring is modular and easy to service. Fujimoto claimed that with basic maintenance and some renovations, the structure could theoretically remain a landmark for 50 or even 100 years. Although Fujimoto was aware that Osaka authorities planned to make the Expo site a temporary venue, he hoped its resilient design would aid its preservation.

“It was my hope from the beginning, and I was looking forward to it, that if the Expo was very successful, and if people really liked it, that the big ring could stay for a longer time, just like the Eiffel Tower,” Fujimoto said. The Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Atomium in Brussels faced similar debates over demolition after their respective Expos, but they remain as enduring national symbols.

After all, he said, putting so much effort into building a beautiful and large-scale structure only to have it all demolished in less than a year is “not a smart way” to manage urban development.

The uncertain future of Dahuan

The ultimate fate of the Ring Timbers remains a point of debate. Shortly before the end of the exhibition, japan times report Timber from the structure will be donated to Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, to assist in the construction of public housing as part of recovery efforts following the 2024 earthquake and subsequent flooding.

Furthermore, according to a Press releaseThe Japan Expo 2025 Association held a public auction of timber in late 2025, ostensibly to find buyers willing to repurpose the material.

However, these efforts appear to have covered only a small portion of the vast mass of wood. The association’s official sustainability action plan is very vague, committing only to reusing materials “wherever possible” without setting hard targets for wood conservation.

Related posts