Inside the USA Pavilion at Expo 2025: Imagine What We Can Create Together

April 23, 2025

As the world converges on Japan for Expo 2025 Osaka, SEGD is proud to recognize the member firms shaping this global moment through immersive storytelling, bold architecture, and place-based experience design.

Go inside the USA Pavilion, a collaboration between Trahan Architects, BRC Imagination Arts, ES Global, Studio Loutsis, and Alchemy—with BRC leading the design of the visitor experience. This marks the fifth time BRC has created the USA Pavilion for a World Expo, and their second time doing so in Japan.

The Pavilion That Invites the World to Imagine

Prominently located along the Grand Ring—between the Forest of Tranquillity and the East Gate Entrance Plaza—the USA Pavilion serves as a visual and cultural gateway to Expo 2025.

The design, led by Trahan Architects, draws from both natural and urban canyons, creating an open yet monumental form. Two triangular buildings frame a central plaza with LED screen-lined wings, projecting dynamic, panoramic images of American landmarks and landscapes.

The plaza arches gently, inspired by ancient Japanese footbridges, offering both balance and movement. As visitors pass through, the architecture gradually narrows, guiding them toward the rear courtyard and creating a calm, contemplative moment amid the activity of the Expo.

At the rear of the Pavilion, a serenity garden emerges where the two wings meet—designed to let in a sliver of natural light, evoking peace and reflection. Hovering above the central plaza is the pavilion’s architectural centerpiece: a suspended translucent cube, brilliantly illuminated and inspired by the traditional Japanese torii gate. This floating element serves as a symbolic and spatial threshold, marking the transition from the dynamic exterior to the immersive journey within.

Designing the Story of a Nation

Inside the 2,880 square-meter Pavilion, BRC Imagination Arts invites visitors to embark on a vibrant, multisensory journey inspired by the Pavilion’s central theme: “Imagine What We Can Create Together.”

Guiding that journey is Spark, an original animated character and Pavilion mascot who represents the “spark of imagination and creativity” within every person. Spark leads guests through a series of immersive experiences that highlight America’s spirit of opportunity, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Visitors are transported into fully realized experiential zones showcasing the United States’ global leadership in: Agriculture, Nanotechnology, Advanced materials, and Aerospace technologies.

The exhibition is designed to engage all five senses—with interactivity, motion, and story-driven design layered throughout. A bilingual musical score—performed in both English and Japanese—adds rhythm and warmth to the experience, reinforcing the Pavilion’s inclusive tone.

The journey concludes in an emotionally resonant finale called “Launch,” where powerful visuals of space and innovation inspire visitors to “Join Us!”—a bold invitation to work together toward a brighter future. It’s an uplifting call-to-action, reflecting the Pavilion’s commitment to empowering lives and celebrating the spirit of collaboration.

Built for Impact and Innovation

In addition to its immersive content, the Pavilion exemplifies sustainable and innovative construction. A bespoke steel system, modular timber façade, and repurposed equipment from ES Global enabled a streamlined, cost-efficient delivery.

The Pavilion not only showcases the United States’ ingenuity—it embodies it, combining creative vision with adaptive building practices that will allow for potential reuse beyond Expo 2025.

A Global Stage for Experiential Design

The USA Pavilion is just one example of how SEGD members are shaping global narratives through design.

Stay tuned as we highlight Atelier Brückner’s design for the Uzbekistan Pavilion, coming next.