At the 2025 Osaka Expo, numerous national pavilions vie for attention, but the Swiss Pavilion stands out with its unique membrane structure design and profound concept. It is not only a vivid showcase of Switzerland’s innovative spirit but also a deep embodiment of sustainable development. To truly understand the Swiss Pavilion, one must first recognize its “outer garment” —— the membrane structure.

Project Overview | An inflatable structure made up of multiple interlocking spheres

The membrane structure design of the Swiss Pavilion is nothing short of exquisite, fully leveraging the advantages of this innovative material. The pavilion consists of five interconnected spheres, each with a shell weighing only 400 kilograms, yet they support an exhibition space brimming with surprises. This weight is just 1% of that of traditional building shells, making it incredibly lightweight. The outer film uses double-layer foil, combined with a lightweight supporting structure, not only ensuring the ultra-lightweight of the building but also providing excellent flexibility. This results in a unique and dynamic shape, reminiscent of soap bubbles, exuding a sense of futurism and artistry. This is a vivid embodiment of the artistic design philosophy of membrane structures.

From an environmental perspective, the membrane structure also performs excellently, deeply embodying its eco-design philosophy. In terms of material selection, full consideration was given to recyclability, ensuring that after the Expo, the entire pavilion can be recycled and reused, significantly reducing resource waste and environmental impact; the exhibition area is ingeniously set on the ground floor, avoiding the use of vertical circulation, elevators, or escalators, thereby reducing carbon footprints from a human behavior perspective; the venue also carefully selects plants from local nurseries to cover the sphere, which play a role in carbon fixation during their growth, further contributing to environmental protection efforts. This membrane structure building, which embodies environmental principles comprehensively from materials to design, stands out uniquely at the Expo In addition, the functional advantages of the membrane structure are prominently displayed in the Swiss Pavilion. Its excellent light transmission creates a soft and even natural lighting environment inside the pavilion, making visitors more comfortable while enjoying the exhibitions and reducing energy consumption; the large-span spatial characteristics of the membrane structure provide flexible exhibition layout space within the pavilion, facilitating the display of various exhibits and the planning of visitor routes.

Innovative thinking | The construction of membrane structure and cultural collision

The air-tightness testing of the double-layer membrane structure, the precise calculation of vine growth trajectories, and the standardized production of modular components—all these steps embody the design philosophy of being “lightweight yet not thin.” The spherical grid division in the drawings, the air layer thickness annotations on cross-sections, and even the visual analysis diagrams of the rooftop bar all narrate the rigorous process from concept to realization.

When we stand before the Swiss Pavilion, what we see is not just seven floating inflatable spheres, but also a contemporary reinterpretation of a nation’s identity: technologically advanced yet not cold, naturally beautiful yet not pristine, architecturally light yet bearing heavy responsibilities —— responsibility to the environment, responsibility to communication, responsibility to the future of architecture. This temporary structure may disappear after the expo, but the reflections it leaves behind —— on how to construct meaning in lightness, create eternity in temporariness —— will, like the morning glory on a vine, eventually bloom with new possibilities within the fabric of architectural history.