EXPO 2025 CZECH PAVILION

SCULPTING VITALITY. The linearly dynamic upward spiral movement seems an allegory of an ideal and fulfilling life path. However, a basal and deeply encoded instinct commands man to survive above all, which results in a series of uncoordinated movements in often unclear directions. These become the necessary source of experience to achieve the desired capacity for adaptation. At the same time, the human being, a social being, also develops the urge to enjoy his life's journey. To the undeniably important physical vitality is added at that moment, a layer of vitality intangible, cultural, and visceral. The Czech pavilion's vibrating form makes movement an essential tool for maintaining physical vitality. It explicitly encourages the walker to engage in some form of physical exercise, while the content compels creative work with spiritual and cultural values. The concept of the proposed architecture is a thesis whose content is a space shaped by the movement of body and soul. The pavilion is a mass that requires the active involvement of the visitor, whose movement makes the exposition present. The visitor's every movement in the pavilion's interiors materializes the content's cultural space, thus completing his journey. Achieving inner vitality.

The authors have presented a clear, comprehensible, and easy-to-remember proposal for consideration, whose external visibility is undeniable. The visualized nighttime, in particular, is truly seductive. An upward spiral encircles the centrally located auditorium space, leading visitors to an attractive roof terrace with a bar and restaurant. Despite its prominence, the form is quite rational and partially shades the external space around the pavilion. Great emphasis is placed on the precise glass façade, which refers to traditional Czech art that tries to communicate to all exhibition visitors. However, that same façade then severely limits the exhibition flexibility in the interior, which will have to be designed with a fundamental understanding of these special conditions. The spiral layout of the interior space is undoubtedly effective, but it is also much tried and seen, and forces the visitor to go through it as a whole, which may not always be received with understanding; on the other hand, there is the chance for a deeper immersion into the chosen theme.

WOODEN TEMPLE. The exhibition pavilion of the Czech Republic takes the form of a wooden structural sculpture representing a stylized forest as one of the most accessible and popular leisure places for Czechs. It benefits from a prominent location on the waterfront promenade. It is easily identifiable up close and from the views from the Fujimoto Colonnade in the lagoon. It has a clear, scaled-up, easy-to-remember expression. The Forest Cathedral is an abstracted play of verticals of wooden slats, overlapping in vistas and layering in plans. Light permeates from all sides, interfering with the vault. The interior space rises and falls freely, pulsates dynamically, opens and closes, and rises against the sky. Gradually, its individual layers peel away. The design makes the most of the effects of the natural environment without audiovisual technology. It is a reaction to over-technologized and virtual reality.

A proposal that resonated with the jury from the very beginning and eventually took the second prize. The authors approached the concept of the pavilion radically. They decided to design an artificial forest with a clearing in the form of an indoor informal auditorium as the centerpiece of the entire pavilion. They significantly minimized the number of things they wanted to present in the pavilion. Instead, they concentrated on a robust spatial experience—a space whose mutability would undoubtedly be taken care of by sun and shade or temporary art performances. As the exhibition's central theme, they chose the theme of leisure as an element in which we can present our otherness to Japan. Particular concerns were raised about the lack of clarity of the functional layout of the underground, as well as the difficulty of placing the exhibition in such an artistically strong design. In any case, it is safe to say that this was the most discussed proposal during the two full days of the jury session.

THE SKY UNDER THE TREES. The pavilion represents the Czech Republic as a place that has been cared for by people for more than a thousand years. As a garden in the middle of Europe, which provides people with a place to exercise their immeasurable talent and creativity. Its inhabitants are able to find ways to protect a precious heritage not only for themselves but also for future generations. The pavilion likens the Czech Republic to a familiar landscape of millions of gardens with a single sky above. We will show the history, present and environmental vision of the Czech Republic as a place of human creativity and care for the shared space.

The jury's long-discussed design eventually won the 3rd prize. From the beginning, the jury appreciated the overall complexity and sophistication of the design, and the convincing expression, including a clear and comprehensible presentation. It appreciated the effort to look for points of contact between the Czech Republic and Japan, and it also liked the overall material concept and the internal atmosphere. Concerns were raised about the too-low clearance of the individual floors. Six levels seemed too much for this location with strict height limits. The project was also described as eclectic at times, and the number of themes and their representation that the authors chose to focus on was too high for the relatively short time a visitor spends in the pavilion on average. The jury does not doubt that this proposal would be a worthy representative of the Czech Republic in Japan.

CZECH MUSH ROOM. The Czech pavilion at the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka, Japan, presents mycelium as a theme that connects this planet's past, present, and future and is a solution to many of the problems that plague us today. The pavilion will present the Czech Republic as a creative and open society offering a platform for sharing ideas with the hope of a brighter future.

A strong, bold proposal that has been one of the most debated from the start. The jury decided to award it with a special mention. It recognized the courage with which the authors presented a complex proposal that, if implemented, would undoubtedly have attracted considerable attention from visitors to the World Exhibition. However, the potential realization was also questioned by several jurors. The solution presented raised practical concerns. The massive cantilever of a highly positioned visitor floor would place enormous financial and creative demands on the entire preparatory team. The central vertical communication within the giant mushroom, the central motif of the entire pavilion, also seemed slightly unfinished. On the other hand, the jury highly appreciated the graphic level and the level of the entire presentation.