Expo 2025 Osaka: facts and fiction celebrates multiple awards at the end of the world Expo
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Expo 2025 Osaka close its doors on October 13th after six months. facts and fiction played a key role in designing the national pavilions for Germany, Austria and the European Union (EU) at the World Expo. The agency has already received multiple awards for the German and Austrian pavilions.
The World Expo in Osaka marks Japan’s third such event, 55 years after Expo 1970 – also held in Osaka – and 20 years after Expo 2005 in Aichi. Under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, 150 countries and 25 international organisations took part. More than 25 million visitors explored the national and thematic pavilions. facts and fiction was responsible for three national presences: Germany, Austria and the EU. Looking back on 184 days of the World Expo, the agency can draw a highly positive balance.
18 Awards for Germany and Austria
The agency is proud to have received 18 awards for the German and Austrian pavilions. The international jury of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) awarded the German Pavilion – commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy – the Silver Award for Theme Development (Self-built Pavilions – Type A, over 1,500 m²). In addition, the German Pavilion received the Sustainability Award, which recognises pavilions that exemplarily integrate sustainability in both concept and execution.
The Austrian Pavilion also impressed the jury, earning Bronze for Exhibition Design (Self-built Pavilions – Type A, under 1,500 m²). The Expo 2025 Official Participant Awards were presented in four categories: Architecture and Landscape, Exhibition Design, Theme Development and Sustainability. The prizes are awarded by the BIE, based in Paris, which oversees World Expos.
Deutschland: In der Ausstellung begaben sich die Besucher*innen auf eine emotionale und multisensorische Reise, in der sie greifbare Visionen für das Leben in einer zirkulären Gesellschaft kennenlernten (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).
says Christopher Hecker, Director of the German Pavilion on behalf of Koelnmesse.
EU: Die Ausstellung des Pavillons war ein Ort der Entdeckung, des Dialogs und der Interaktion (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).
At the EXHIBITOR Magazine’s World Expo Award, facts and fiction also scored highly: Germany received an Honourable Mention in the “Best Large Pavilion” category and Winner in “Best Exterior Design”. Austria was honoured in the categories “Best Exterior Design” and “Best Presentation/Storytelling” (Honourable Mention).
The German Pavilion also won Gold for “Best Sustainable Pavilion” at the World Expolympics Award, while the Austrian Pavilion received Silver for “Best Small Pavilion” and Bronze for “Best Activation or Engagement”. These awards recognise the most outstanding examples of experiential design at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Deutschland: Die Ausstellung war als Abfolge immersiver Raumerfahrungen entwickelt, wobei auch hier die Wegeführung ganz dem Leitmotiv folgte: dem Kreislauf (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).
Österreich: Der österreichische Beitrag zur Weltausstellung 2025 in Osaka „Composing the Future“ nutzte das verbindende Thema Musik, um gemeinsam mit seinen Gästen eine faszinierende Zukunftskomposition zu schaffen (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).
says Marco Hückel, Managing Partner at facts and fiction.
Österreich: Gestalterisches Leitbild des österreichischen Pavillons war ein überdimensionales Notenband. Es prägte, als verschlungene Skulptur, den Pavillon schon von außen (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).
Additional architecture awards for the German and Austrian pavilions
The architecture of the German Pavilion, designed by LAVA Architects, represented a paradigm shift in construction: modular, demountable and realised largely using locally sourced, rented or reusable materials. This conveyed the principle of circularity at a glance – and earned multiple architectural awards. Alongside the ICONIC AWARDS from the German Design Council, these included the Green Good Design Awards and the Big SEE Architecture Awards.
The Austrian Pavilion, designed by BWM Designers & Architects, was shaped by an oversized musical score, which characterised the exterior. The timber spiral structure was also recognised by numerous juries, including the Green Planet Building Technology Award, an Honourable Mention at the BLT Built Design Awards in the “Architectural Design / Cultural” category, and a Special Prize in “Public Buildings and Municipal Construction” at the NÖ Timber Construction Award 2025.
Deutschland: Auf ihrem Weg durch den Pavillon wurden die Besucher*innen von den Circulars begleitet, den Maskottchen des Pavillons (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).
The Circulars – a visitor magnet in the German Pavilion
Visitors were accompanied on their journey through the German Pavilion by the Circulars, the pavilion’s mascots. Inspired by the Japanese Kawaii aesthetic, the Circulars appeared in various forms throughout the pavilion – most prominently as next-generation audioguides.
The Circulars activated automatically at key points, lighting up and vibrating to attract attention. Over 40 touchpoints invited visitors to explore content and engage more deeply at their own pace. The mascots even interacted with one another when brought together. This playful approach created emotional connections, sparked curiosity and made the Circulars a clear visitor favourite. Whether as audioguides, walking acts or plush toys in the shop – they became the highlight of the German Pavilion experience.
At the Expo Characters World Festival in mid-September – the world championship of mascots – the German Pavilion’s Circulars were voted the most popular mascot of Expo 2025 by visitors.
Österreich: Im Inneren des Pavillons gliederte sich die Ausstellung in drei Räume (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).
EU: Im Einklang mit dem Thema der Expo 2025 Osaka spiegelte der EU-Pavillon die Leitprinzipien des Neuen Europäischen Bauhauses wider: Schönheit, Nachhaltigkeit und Inklusion (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).
says Andreas Horbelt, Creative Director at facts and fiction.
Deutschland: Gemeinsam eine zirkuläre Welt gestalten – das war das Motto des Deutschen Pavillons (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).
Looking ahead: Next World Expos in Serbia (2027) and Saudi Arabia (2030)
After Expo is before Expo: the next World Expo will take place from 15 May to 15 August 2027 in Belgrade – the first specialised Expo in Southeast Europe. The next major Expo will follow from 1 October 2030 to 31 March 2031 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
says Dietmar Jähn, Managing Partner of facts and fiction.
25 years of Expo experience
facts and fiction brings 25 years of Expo experience, having delivered 13 national participations. The agency’s first pavilion was realised for the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) at Expo 2000 in Hanover. This was followed by national pavilions for Germany at Expo 2012 in Yeosu (South Korea), for Monaco and Kazakhstan at Expo 2015 in Milan (Italy), for France (Total) and Azerbaijan at Expo 2017 in Astana (Kazakhstan), and for Germany, Monaco, Belgium and Jordan at Expo 2020 in Dubai.
At the World Expo in Japan, facts and fiction conceptualised and delivered the German Pavilion as part of the German Pavilion Consortium on behalf of BMWK for the second consecutive time, and was also responsible for the Austrian and EU exhibitions.
Background information
Germany: Wa! Germany
Commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE)), Koelnmesse GmbH was responsible for the organisation and operation of the German Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. The concept, planning and realisation were delivered by the consortium “German Pavilion Expo 2025 Osaka”, consisting of facts and fiction (Cologne) and GL events Live (Lyon), supported by their Japanese subsidiary. facts and fiction was responsible for the content concept, exhibition and media design, while GL events Live and GL events Japan managed the construction. The architecture and spatial concept were designed by LAVA Architects (Berlin).
Austria: Composing the Future
Commissioned by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy, the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and its Expo Office, BWM Designers & Architects designed the architecture of the Austrian Pavilion. facts and fiction conceived and designed the exhibition, supported by Zone Media from Vienna. The music was developed in cooperation between Mozarteum Salzburg and Kling Klang Klong (Berlin). Construction was handled by the Nüssli Group as general contractor.
European Union: Nurturing Tomorrow
Commissioned by the EU, a consortium led by GL events Live (Lyon) was responsible for the pavilion and a range of supporting activities. As part of the consortium, facts and fiction designed and produced the exhibition for the EU Pavilion.
About facts and fiction
facts and fiction is an interdisciplinary creative agency with more than 70 full-time employees in Cologne and Berlin. The agency was founded in Cologne in 1992. facts and fiction conceptualises, designs and implements innovative analogue and digital projects in the fields of art, culture, business and science. The focus is on museums and exhibitions, Expo pavilions, events, exhibits and digital solutions for participative and individualised experiences.
facts and fiction has developed the pavilions for Germany, Austria and the EU at the World Expo in Japan that took place from April to October 2025. The agency has 25 years of Expo experience and will now have implemented a total of 13 country participations including Japan. Large-scale, previously realised projects in the public museums and exhibitions sector include the Mining Museum in Bochum and the Berlin Exhibition at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin. The agency is currently working on the design of the Zeppelin Tribune and Zeppelin Field learning and meeting centre in Nuremberg, the permanent exhibition of the Buddenbrook House in Lübeck, Germany and a permanent exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Basel, Switzerland. In Berlin, facts and fiction is active in the tension-charged field of political communications: The agency develops a wide variety of analogue, hybrid and digital event formats and exhibitions for ministries, institutions and associations in the context of political discourse. In 2024, the budget was again awarded to facts and fiction by the German Ministry of the Environment (BMUKN).
facts and fiction has implemented over 700 projects in 50 countries and has already won numerous awards for its work, including the BIE Award, the iF Communication Award, the ADC competition, the Galaxy Award and the Red Dot Award.
For press information and enquiries:
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