Post by : Mariam
Al-Faris
The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has received the Silver Award at the DFA Design for Asia Awards, an event organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre. This honour celebrates outstanding designs across Asia that show cultural creativity and strong social impact. The award highlights the pavilion’s global recognition and its influential architecture.
Over the six-month Expo, the UAE Pavilion showcased a unique blend of design, craftsmanship and storytelling. Its concept is inspired by the UAE’s well-known date palm tree and reflects traditional Emirati areesh structures. The pavilion creatively combines date palm agricultural waste with advanced Japanese woodworking skills, presenting a true mix of Emirati and Japanese craftsmanship.
One of the most eye-catching features of the pavilion is its forest of 90 rachis columns, each rising up to 16 metres. These were created by the Earth to Ether Design Collective, a group of Emirati and Japanese designers working together. This collaboration reflects the UAE’s commitment to cultural exchange and global innovation, making the pavilion a symbol of cooperative creativity.
Shihab Al Faheem, UAE Ambassador to Japan and Commissioner General of the UAE Pavilion, said the award represents the strong teamwork between partners from the UAE, Japan and other countries. He explained that the pavilion expresses the UAE’s identity and its vision for a future built on openness and shared progress. Al Faheem also noted that over five million visitors selected the pavilion as one of their favourite spots at Expo 2025 Osaka, attracted by its multi-sensory experience and meaningful storytelling that connects people from different cultures.
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