From 13 April to 13 October 2025, the World Expo will bring 160 countries together in Osaka, with events centred around the theme of “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”.
Belgium’s Pavilion, titled “Human Regeneration”, is focused on the sub[1]theme of “Saving Lives”. It will offer an immersive experience that showcases the country’s advances in healthcare. Designed by architects at Carré7 and developed by a multidisciplinary team of talented Belgians, the Pavilion is the product of a fruitful partnership of cultural, economic and tech stakeholders. The consortium, which includes Tempora, Profirst, Dirty Monitor, ShowTex and Barco, has created an immersive exhibition and an outstanding layout for the public spaces.
A WEEK IN THE SPOTLIGHT FOR WALLONIA-BRUSSELS
From 25 to 30 May, Wallonia-Brussels will be the centre of attention in the Belgian Pavilion. A high point of the Expo, it will give the region an opportunity to display its creativity, its expertise in artificial intelligence and its innovations in healthcare. The Digital Twins developed by TRAIL and MedReSyst will be the focus of the exhibition. “These are very innovative technologies that can save lives,” BelExpo Communication Manager Justine Theunissen told us.
BELEXPO: MASTERMINDING THE PROJECT
As the Commission General for International Exhibitions, BelExpo is responsible for coordinating the project, from managing the Pavilion to presenting the displays of the regions. “We work together with all the partners,” lion director Myriam Cops explains, “we are very proud of our fries, our chocolate and our beer — they are what we’re famous for! We wanted to go further this time, and show that Belgium is innovative, creative and compassionate. People will see solutions — and hope.”
CARRÉ7: ARCHITECTURE WITH A MESSAGE
The Pavilion was designed by Cyril Rousseaux’s team: Carré7, an architecture firm from La Louvière, Belgium. The theme of water in its three states is gracefully explored “as a symbol of life... the floor is the mirror-like surface of water, with melting ice alongside floating balloons of fabric: everything combines to create an immersive and poetic experience.” Through its symbolic, innovative architecture that is accessible to all thanks to a rising path that spans all three storeys, the Pavilion embodies the values of continuation and working together, for Carré7 and the whole partnership. “Architecture is universal. Despite all our differences, we have succeeded in creating a beautiful structure together, one that is full of meaning and technology, in sync with the issues of tomorrow.” “I wanted there to be a discernible logic to this Pavilion, for each material to be meaningfully symbolic. Nothing was chosen by accident.” A 100% Belgian project! “It is an object that echoes us, that was imagined, designed and built in Belgium.”
PROFIRST: EXHIBITION DESIGN WITH HEART
Profirst, a creative event agency based in Rixensart, Belgium, working alongside Dirty Monitor, Tempora, Showtex and Barco, developed the Pavilion’s narrative. Profirst Project & Artist Director Charles Louis de Lovinfosse explained their thought-process: “We were inspired by the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi, which is a method of repairing broken pottery by highlighting the breaks to create a new piece of art.” A powerful metaphor for medicine and healing: “repairing makes it stronger, more beautiful.” The goal was to create a fully immersive, symbolic journey through the Pavilion, “to surround visitors in an unforgettable environment. We wanted each person to leave with a feeling and a modern image of Belgium.”
DIRTY MONITOR: IMMERSIVE IMAGES
A world-famous pioneer in immersive video mapping, Charleroi-based Dirty Monitor has worked alongside leading Belgian artistic directors Luc Petit and Franco Dragone, and has even projected onto the Burj Khalifa. The company is sure to impress visitors to the Belgian Pavilion, with a strong artistic vision from the creative section of the show to the designs, the music and the special effects. Co-founder Orphée Cataldo described their sensitive and ambitious approach: “It was crucial to offer a powerful, poetic and beautiful experience, even for a subject like health.” The visitor journey covers eight different scenes scored by music inspired by Japan. The intention is to educate as well as move: “Every scene must be a journey, each detail must have meaning. The visitor will be intrigued.”
WAB Magazine
