Circular wooden roof for 2025 World Expo venue in Osaka takes shape

OSAKA (Kyodo) — As preparations ramp up for the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, the symbolic giant wooden roof, known as the “Grand Ring,” was visible in its full circular form at the venue on Wednesday.

The ring is set to become one of the world’s largest wooden structures, with a circumference of approximately 2 kilometers and a maximum height of around 20 meters, according to the expo organizers. Construction is expected to continue through February next year.

The area beneath the roof will serve as a main promenade for the expo site, providing shelter from rain and sunlight during the event, which runs from April 13 to Oct. 13 next year. The rooftop of the ring will offer views of the surrounding pavilions of international participants.

After the assembly of the lumber for the wooden structure, a pedestrian slope was completed on the rooftop on Wednesday.

The remaining work includes installing elevators and adding greenery.

Amid rising material prices and labor costs, the ring, for which about 35 billion yen ($240 million) has been earmarked, has faced criticism as a waste of public money, with opposition lawmakers dubbing it “the most expensive parasol in the world.”

The expo organizer is considering recycling parts of the ring’s structure after it is disassembled following the conclusion of the world’s fair.

Japan will host the World Expo for the third time in the event’s 170-year history in 2025, with the international fair expected to draw more than 20 million visitors from around the world to Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay.