USA PAVILION OPENS AT EXPO 2025 IN OSAKA, JAPAN, CREATED BY TRAHAN ARCHITECTS, BRC IMAGINATION ARTS, ES GLOBAL AND ALCHEMY
The USA Pavilion is inspired by historic Japanese architecture, our ability to imagine what we can create together and is an embodiment of the strength of the American spirit, celebrating innovation, and global cultural exchange
April 9, 2025
OSAKA, April 9, 2025 — Today, Trahan Architects, BRC Imagination Arts, ES Global and Alchemy have completed the USA Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Serving as a cultural outpost for the United States, the USA Pavilion at Expo 2025 celebrates the best of contemporary American architecture, exhibition design, culture, and innovation, The USA Pavilion invites visitors to be immersed in a vibrant experience of the United States, featuring iconic views of the country, and exhibitions that celebrate the United States.
Expo 2025 is expected to receive millions of visitors over the course of its six-month duration. The USA Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka will be Trahan Architects’ first built project outside of the United States and is the fifth time BRC Imagination Arts has created the USA Pavilion at an Expo; with this being the second time in Japan.
A WELCOMING GATEWAY
Located prominently within Expo 2025’s Grand Ring, the USA Pavilion sits halfway between the Forest of Tranquility and the East Gate Entrance Plaza, serving as a visual gateway for all visitors. Open, grand yet minimalistic, the pavilion is inspired by natural and urban canyons. Two triangular buildings create a central plaza and serve as expansive wings with LED screens depicting iconic and dynamic images of American landmarks and landscapes.
Inspired by ancient Japanese footbridges, the plaza arches gently, creating a sense of balance while cultivating a unique visitor journey through the space. From west to east, the plaza narrows to a point, creating a sense of calmness with the architecture. At the rear of the pavilion, visitors find a moment of reprieve in the serenity garden where the pavilion’s two wings meet, allowing a sliver of natural light into a small garden.
At the heart of the USA Pavilion is a ‘floating’ translucent cube––brightly illuminated and suspended above visitors—that acts as a threshold, inspired by Japanese torii gates, which transitions the pavilion’s active public plaza to its contemplative private courtyard. The translucent cube is an icon of the pavilion’s architecture and is instantly recognizable from the Grand Ring that encircles the Expo’s national pavilions.
The USA Pavilion showcases a robust and efficient approach to design and construction—using a bespoke steel system, modular timber façade and repurposed ES Global equipment to maximize cost efficiency. It exemplifies leadership in build, innovation, and design creativity.
IMAGINATION AND COLLABORATION
The 2,880 square-meter pavilion’s interior exhibition program, crafted by BRC Imagination Arts, engages Expo visitors through a variety of experiential typologies. The USA Pavilion welcomes guests from around the world to "Imagine What We Can Create Together."
Spark, the pavilion's mascot, embodies the "spark of imagination and creativity" within everyone. This joyful animated character guides visitors through the fully immersive realms that showcase American opportunity, entrepreneurship, culture, creativity and innovation. Featuring groundbreaking innovations in agriculture, nanotechnology, advanced materials, and aerospace technologies, the USA Pavilion highlights America’s global leadership and commitment to empowering lives.
Visitors to the USA Pavilion engage every sense and experience how to learn, innovate, experience, explore and imagine together. An upbeat musical song, in English and Japanese, combined with stunning visual storytelling inspires visitors, bringing them to the final exhibit, a space themed "Launch" that delivers the compelling message: "Join Us!" Together we can celebrate American excellence through the ingenuity of architecture, the awe-inspiring exhibits, the uplifting musical narrative, the powerful space (and beyond) images—all of them creating a spark to our imagination and helping shape a brighter future.
Trey Trahan, Founder, Trahan Architects: “The USA Pavilion is a beacon for the country, celebrating the best of American ideas on the world stage. In designing the Pavilion, we sought to create a bold, memorable building that was emblematic of the United States’ history of architectural innovation. Our design is centered around public space and visitor experience—architecture that is at once minimalist and monumental, inspired by its Japanese context.”
Ben Price, Founder, Alchemy: “The USA Pavilion is a standout Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. We are proud to have assembled an incredibly talented, multidisciplinary, integrated design-build team to deliver this Pavilion to welcome the world. From the outset, we strived to create something exceptional. The result has exceeded our expectations, showcasing what can be when a client and project team work seamlessly toward a common goal."
Christian Lachel, Chief Creative Officer, BRC Imagination Arts: “The USA Pavilion inspires visitors from around the world to ‘Imagine What We Can Create Together.’ The pavilion exhibition underscores America’s deep history of creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and its commitment to working together to address how we can empower lives and inspire future generations. Our ability to imagine is one of the most powerful tools we have.”
Olly Watts, Joint CEO, ES Global: "The strength of the USA Pavilion lies in its clear demonstration of ingenuity—combining innovative venue design with cost-effective delivery on the global stage. By drawing on modular construction methods and repurposing existing equipment beyond Expo 2025, we’ve created a pavilion that reflects both architectural ambition and smart execution."
Designed for the United States of America Department of State, USA Pavilion was designed by Trahan Architects and realized in collaboration with ES Global, Alchemy, and BRC Imagination Arts.
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS
About Trahan Architects
Trahan Architects is a pioneering architecture studio based in New Orleans, with a second office in New York City. Through each project, the firm looks to create architecture rooted in its site, drawing from the nature, culture, histories and people of its locale. Founded by Louisiana native Trey Trahan, Trahan Architects has led designs of cultural and civic projects at all scales, from small-scale museums to urban parks, and cultural centers to stadiums, throughout the United States. Since its founding more than 30 years ago, Trahan Architects has been ranked the number one design firm in the United States and has been honored with more than 100 awards by the American Institute of Architects.
About BRC Imagination Arts
For more than 45 years, BRC Imagination Arts has shaped the world of experiential strategy, design, and production—bringing brand and cultural stories to life through unforgettable human experiences. Across the globe, BRC shapes the World Expo landscape, delivering some of the most talked-about and innovative pavilions. Our team creates host and country showcases, thematic and corporate pavilions—all designed to spark curiosity, inspire connection, and leave a heartfelt lasting impression on millions of visitors.
About Alchemy
Alchemy is a firm specializing in complex projects and alternative project delivery for governments and discerning private sector clients worldwide. Bringing together multi-disciplinary teams, Alchemy provides project management, design integration and a range of construction services for complex adaptive re-use, pavilions, museums, art installations, sports and entertainment facilities and demountable architecture with a presence in London, New York, Los Angeles and Belgrade.
About ES Global
ES GLOBAL is a lead contractor for major events and projects around the world, designing and delivering relocatable architecture and structures. Starting over 50 years ago, and with regional offices across four continents, the business provides touring stages for concerts, venues for cultural events and sporting spectaculars, and critical infrastructure. At Expo Osaka 2025, ES GLOBAL is the prime contractor for the USA Pavilion as well as the Australia, Canada and UK pavilions. With an established Japanese office, ES GLOBAL is expanding its presence in the region, leveraging its expertise for future projects and long-term growth.
Design-Build / Creative Team Credits
Design-Build Contractor: ES Global / Alchemy
Pavilion Design: Trahan Architects
Exhibition Design: BRC Imagination Arts
Architect of Record: Tripod Studio
Engineer of Record: Meinhardt / E&M Consulting Engineers Inc
Structural Engineer: Momentum Structural Engineers
Signage & Wayfinding: Studio Loutsis
Landscape Concept Design: Hood Design
Concept Lighting: Dot Dash
Architectural Lighting Design: DPA Lighting Consultants
Exhibition Media: BRC Imagination Arts
AVL and Exhibition Fit Out: BeWunder
Food & Beverage Consultant: Ricca Design Studios
Façade: True Staging
Pavilion Operations: Trivandi
Food & Beverage Operations: Living Hospitality
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