Japan's crowd-pleasing pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has been transported from the Middle East to the Far East to wow visitors five years on at the latest world's fair in Osaka.
The white origami-inspired structure has been repurposed as the Women's Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, serving to build on the strong cultural connections between the past two event hosts.
The translucent membrane-like structure that combines both Japanese and Middle Eastern geometric patterns was among the most popular sites of the Dubai Expo.
The geometric motifs were reassembled by a renowned Japanese architect into the Women's Pavilion to forge a link between two global expositions in the UAE and Japan.
“I wanted to express Japanese reality as it is for our generation, as our consciousness is not entirely immersed in Japan. We are a global mix and a distinct kind of Japanese-ness has arisen from that mix,” said Yuko Nagayama, who conceived both the Japan pavilion at the Dubai Expo and the Osaka project that tells stories of women, empowerment and gender equality.
People can take a pause in our Japanese garden which is a quieter space and look at the expo below
Emmanuelle Begue,
Cartier Women’s Pavilion deputy lead
A stunning example of adaptive architecture, the facade that drew millions in Dubai has been reutilised in Osaka and is drawing curious visitors once again.
Ms Nagayama said she designed it merging traditional Arabesque and Japanese patterns to reflect the connections with cultures of the Middle East.
Tradition mixed with modernity
At the Osaka Expo that opened in April, the remodelled pavilion sits beside the world’s largest wooden ring that encircles hundreds of national pavilions.
About 10,000 steel rods and ball joints were given a new lease of life and reassembled at the new site in Japan to inspire others to conserve and recycle.
The origami cubes that knit into a tightly-closed frame at the Dubai Expo have opened up in Osaka almost like windows looking over the Expo site.
“We saw this as a great opportunity to show the potential of reusing material,” said Ms Nagayama.
The facade draws inspiration from Japanese kumiko woodwork, a traditional technique that assembles thin slats of timbre without using nails.
“I hope the Women’s Pavilion will be a starting point, and eventually the issues that women face will be resolved and the next generation will no longer need a separate pavilion,” she said.
Core message
Instead of water bodies that surrounded the pavilion in Dubai, green spaces have been created by replanting shrubs and plants from the mountains surrounding Kansai and Osaka.
The play of light and shade on the origami exterior lends it a different feel when lit up at night and under the glare of the sun.
The core message is a call for a bright future with mutual respect in which everyone, irrespective of gender, has the opportunity to reach their full potential and live together in harmony.
“The idea to use plants is about nurturing so people can take a pause in our Japanese garden which is a quieter space and look down over at the expo below,” said Emmanuelle Begue, the Cartier Women’s Pavilion venue deputy lead. “We want people to browse and get immersed in the experience.”
Once the Expo ends, the plants and trees will be replanted in a forest outside Osaka.
The Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with Cartier is a project of Japan’s Ministry of Economy and Trade and the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition.
The idea of a women’s pavilion dates back to the Expo 1873 Vienna as a powerful expression for women to converge, showcase their work, ideas and highlight their rights.
At Osaka, the pavilion seeks to stimulate the senses with canvas, stone and plant art work using storytelling to amplify the voices of women, train the spotlight on their contributions and empower the next generation.
Visitors can select various paths, watch a series of video and audio messages from women lawyers, activists, artists, entrepreneurs and leaders.
“You can listen to a woman who explains what it is like being a refugee and coming from a country at war, the women talk about the environment, the challenges we face, there are so many different layers,” Ms Begue said.
“We are working on the theme of togetherness and want everyone to feel involved.”
Award-winning British artist Es Devlin, the global artistic lead of the Women’s Pavilion, said the focus was on their transformative power.
Ms Devlin had conceptualised the UK pavilion at the Dubai Expo where visitors were asked to contribute a word and the text was broadcast across a massive wooden conical structure.
“I’ve always viewed World Expos as a collection of unique musical instruments, where each pavilion sings and reverberates well beyond its initial six-month lifespan,” Ms Devlin said in a bulletin on women released by the BIE, the organisation that supervises the World Expos.
She said the stories shared in Osaka would engage visitors as “facts are far more effective when they are felt.”
“I feel the impact could be immense as the pavilion really has the ability to touch, reach and make a difference. The pavilion is for all. It's using the word woman as a lens to explore specific challenges and to celebrate specific achievements.”
Plans for parts of the structure to have a life beyond the two expos are being worked out.
The pavilion has more than 150 programmes and workshops around gender, art, culture, financial education scheduled through to October.
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
Facebook | Our website | Instagram
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Moving%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SMG%20Studio%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Team17%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20One%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
