In the lead-up to Expo 2025, the world’s fair was plagued by controversy over its ballooning budget and labor shortages.
Construction challenges abounded for the designers of the 48 stand-alone country and region pavilions. The short timeline — in some cases, just a matter of months to build multifloor structures with escalators and rooms that could house exhibitions of priceless art and objects — meant that on the April 13 opening day, a handful of pavilions, including those for Nepal, India and Brazil, still weren’t completed.
For Kengo Kuma & Associates, which oversaw the Malaysia, Qatar and Portugal pavilions, the tight schedule was a positive challenge. The Malaysia pavilion is encased in interwoven rows of bamboo that appear to ripple, evoking the country’s songket weaving technique. Its rooftop has a glass biodome with tropical plants and greenery, and the interior has a bamboo and rattan tree artwork installed across several floors.
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