The competition for the design of the Czech pavilion for the world exhibition EXPO 2025 knows its winner
During a gala at the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning, with the participation of Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, a seven-member expert panel reviewed a total of 38 submitted projects. The winner is a proposal from the architectural studio Apropos Architects in collaboration with Terezá Šváchová and Lunchmeat studio.
“EXPO is the world’s most important marketing event and a great opportunity to support and highlight the good name of the Czech Republic abroad. A quality presentation starts with a quality pavilion. I am very happy that so many great candidates applied for the open architectural competition for the national pavilion. I am confident that one of these concepts will be a worthy representation of the Czech Republic in Osaka, Japan in two years,” said Minister Lipavský, during his speech during the gala.
This is the sixth time the Czech Republic will participate in the EXPO World Exhibition. Ondřej Soška, who has been the General Commissioner of EXPO 2025 since September 2022, created the concept for the Czech Republic’s participation with the theme “Talent and Creativity for Life.” “I was pleased with the unprecedented interest in the architectural competition and the number of proposals submitted. This proves that the public has a positive perception of the EXPO world exhibition and notes its prestige,” said Soška.
The Czech Republic will be represented in Osaka not only with aspects that the Japanese know well and have admired for a long time, such as Czech glass and classical music, but with Czech innovations, nanotechnologies, promising startups and regional talent. The budget for the Czech participation in EXPO 2025 is approximately 500 million crowns (CZK), and the Czech government approved a budget of 290.2 million CZK for 2023-26. Additional financial support will come from private companies, organizations and institutions, in the range of 170-220 million CZK.
The three finalists were selected by a seven-member committee, headed by the leading Czech architect Eva Jiřična, who said of the selection: “At the exhibition in Osaka, more than % of Japanese visitors are expected. And in addition to the architectural atmosphere of the exterior, it was also important to consider the proposal’s plans for the content of the pavilion and its commercial functions. It was challenging to take into account all these facets during the selection.
In addition to Czech architectural studios, bidders from Slovakia, Great Britain, Germany and Cyprus also submitted bids.
Contract for implementation will be signed with the winner in April.
