The first containers with wood for the Czech National Pavilion at EXPO 2025 are on their way to Japan
The first containers carrying the wooden structure for the Czech National Pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka ceremoniously departed today from Veřovice in the Moravian-Silesian Region. The containers are filled with the supporting pillars of the pavilion, which will be prominently displayed in the ground-floor restaurant. The initial shipment was ceremonially launched by Ondřej Soška, the Commissioner General of the Czech participation, along with representatives from the Czech company A2Timber, which is responsible for supplying the wood to the main contractor, the Japanese construction company Daisue.
“I am very pleased that the first shipment of the wooden structure is departing for Japan exactly according to our internal schedule and that the national pavilion will be built predominantly from Czech materials. The path to obtaining the building permit and selecting the general contractor was not easy—we had to provide Japanese authorities with strength tests and additional information to confirm the declared strength of the wooden panels and key connecting elements. In the end, we successfully overcame all obstacles and convinced the authorities that the building is strong enough to withstand potential earthquakes or severe typhoons,” says Ondřej Soška, the Commissioner General of Czech participation at EXPO 2025. “We are aware that our pavilion is innovative in many aspects, which makes me even more proud to announce that it will be the first wooden structure of its kind without a metal framework in Japan. It has also sparked public discussion about CLT timber buildings and their legal regulation.”
The first seven of around 50 containers are now leaving Czechia. The final number will depend on the capacity of the shipping companies and other factors such as different pallet sizes and loading options. Additional parts of the pavilion will be shipped to Japan in the coming weeks. The containers from Czechia are headed to Hamburg, Germany's largest port, from where they will be shipped to Osaka, Japan, for about 8-10 weeks. All wooden parts of the pavilion are made from spruce wood in three production plants in Czechia and will be assembled on Japan’s Yumeshima Island.
“The Czech pavilion, whose first part is now heading to Japan, symbolizes our journey towards modernization, openness to the world, and sustainability, expressed through the combination of modern technology and local tradition, namely wood. Wooden houses have numerous advantages: they use local materials, their construction is faster, and they are up to five times less energy-intensive than brick buildings. Additionally, the carbon sequestered by trees remains stored in the construction wood and does not enter the atmosphere, which is beneficial for the environment. Therefore, we want to support wood not only as a material for family homes but also for larger, multi-story buildings, as demonstrated by the Czech National Pavilion for EXPO 2025,” said Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL).
How is the timber supporting structure of the pavilion made? The harvested logs go through a sawmill, where they are cut into lamellas, and then to a processing plant for BSH (glued laminated timber) or CLT (cross-laminated timber), or for Novatop elements (ribbed panels, three-layer solid wood panels). Parts that are not ready for direct installation on-site are sent to A2Timber's hall in Veřovice for further processing, metal fittings, and possible coating and other necessary treatments before packaging and shipment. If needed, parts of the structure are assembled and then disassembled in the hall. This assembly and subsequent disassembly process will be carried out for the complex roof structure of the Czech National Pavilion for EXPO 2025 to ensure that everything fits perfectly during the final assembly on site.
“The Czech National Pavilion project is unique in many ways. It is a very unconventional structure that will be located in the challenging environment of an artificial island by the sea, subject to strong winds and potential seismic activity. However, the project clearly demonstrates that a wooden structure made of CLT and glued beams has virtually no limits, despite challenges at all levels of the design, production, and construction process,” explains Martin Novák, CEO of A2Timber. “The delivery for the Czech National Pavilion is also a great reference contract for us. We believe this project will bring us more opportunities in Asia, and we are discussing various possibilities with the Japanese company Daisue.”
The Commissioner General of the Czech participation at EXPO 2025, Ondřej Soška, signed the contract for the Czech National Pavilion with the main contractor, the Japanese construction company Daisue (represented by CEO Kazunori Muraem) on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The construction formally began on May 15, 2024, with a ceremony for the pacification of the earth's deities, known as Jichinsai, on the Czech plot on Yumeshima Island. The Czechs are among the most active participants in the preparations for the upcoming world exhibition, engaging with organizers and coordinating European activities. In June, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague hosted a meeting of around thirty commissioners general and representatives of European countries. Another proof of this engagement is the election of Commissioner General Soška to the Steering Committee, the governing body of the World EXPO in June.
About the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2025 In December 2022, after more than twenty years, the Office of the Commissioner General announced an open, anonymous architectural competition to design the National Pavilion for EXPO 2025. Thirty-eight studios have participated, and in March 2023 a jury of experts led by the world-renowned architect Eva Jiřičná selected the winning design: a glass spiral by Apropos Architects. The main structure of the building will be made of modern wood panels, while the façade will feature art glass, which has a centuries-old tradition in Czechia. The National Pavilion, which will be located on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay from April to October 2025, will provide a prestigious setting for Czech participation at EXPO 2025. The pavilion will house a permanent exhibition, a multifunctional auditorium, facilities for business meetings, restaurants, VIP lounges and a relaxation area overlooking the sea.
About the Czech participation at EXPO 2025 This will be the sixth time that Czechia has taken part in a world exhibition as an independent state. Ondřej Soška, who won the Ministry of Foreign Affairs selection process with his concept and theme "Talent and Creativity for Life", has been serving as Commissioner General since September 2022. Czechia aims to showcase not only what the Japanese already know and admire, such as Czech glass and classical music, but above all Czech innovations, nanotechnologies, promising start-ups and talent from the regions.
