Japan’s Osaka Expo site to build a ring-shaped roof

International Business News  –  The Japan International Exposition Association announced on the 13th the outline of the huge ring-shaped roof “RING” with a circumference of 2 kilometers to be built with wood in the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo site. Not only will RING shield people on the ground from rain and sunlight, but the roof will also be planted with seasonal flowers, overlooking the sea. “This will be one of the largest wooden buildings in the world,” Sou Fujimoto, the designer and producer of the Expo site, said at a press conference. “I hope to combine the happy impression of the Expo with the scenery when walking under the roof.”

According to the association, the highest point of RING is 20 meters, the inner diameter is 615 meters, and the width is 30 meters. The wood used is sourced from domestic and foreign sources, with an estimated total of 20,000 cubic meters. It is characterized by the traditional Japanese design of horizontal and vertical beam-column structure.

As relocation and reuse after the World Expo are being discussed, the wood is not fixed with metal materials, but with a traditional construction method called “guan” (horizontal wood). This method is also said to be used in the “Kiyomizu Stage” of Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto.

Also announced were the latest layout plans within the venue, including the construction of a “Progress Plaza” related to the theme of past World Expos held in Japan.