Ireland and Japan are poles apart when it comes to wood design and usage, so using wood as a major element in the Irish Pavilion at Expo 25 in Osaka could be viewed as a daring, if risky, proposition. Japan has a wood culture, which stems from its vast forest resource, unlike Ireland which lost its forests over the millennia and as a result developed a masonry culture.
This thought hit home to me as I glimpsed the gigantic mass timber structure or Grand Wall that surrounds Expo 25 located on the 155-ha artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay. Even though my taxi had still a few kilometres to travel before reaching its destination, the Grand Ring, looming on the horizon, makes a powerful statement about Japan’s ability to combine modern wood technology with traditional craft.
Designed by Japanese architect, Sou Fujimoto, the structure uses Japanese cedar or sugi and Japanese cypress or hinoki as the main species. There is also a nod towards Europe as imported Scots pine – Ireland’s only native timber species – formed 30% of the timber used in the 20m high, 30m wide and 2.5km long circular structure.
The Grand Ring combines contemporary building technologies with traditional wooden nuki carpentry, which uses mortise and tenon joints regardless of the building’s size. The resultant sturdy construction has a roof and a top platform reached by five escalators and six elevators – where it was possible to reach the “skywalk” and view the pavilions along its circumference.
Acknowledged in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest wooden structure in the world, it is a welcome respite from the sweltering 37°C and high humidity on the day I visited in September. Expo 25 had another month to run, when eventually 25 million people would visit this global trade, technology, health, culture and environment event since it opened its doors last April.
The Expo 25 message “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” had three sub themes “Saving Lives”, “Empowering Lives” and “Connecting Lives”. In all, 158 countries participated in the event as well as other trade and international organisations. Ireland, along with countries such as Nepal, Spain, Germany and Azerbaijan located its pavilion in the “Connecting Lives” zone.
Like Ireland, most of the structures had a high wood content with species diversity from sugi to spruce and bamboo to birch.
The timber-using countries included Japan, China, Nordic countries, Czechia (Czech Republic), Germany and Malaysia. Some countries opted for other materials including Brazil (steel and brick), Azerbaijan (stone, steel, aluminium and ceramics) and the UK (aluminium panels).
Nations using wood are now opting for engineered mass wood, sourced from production forest as was evidenced throughout, especially by Czechia, which relied on cross laminated timber (CLT) and Germany which used glulam timber.
Engineered wood is now regarded as a major structural component in making a positive impact in construction to decarbonise the building sector which is the greatest emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG). However, there was plenty of evidence in Expo 25 that traditional woodworking also has a role to play.
The message is to use wood, but from sustainably managed forests to ensure continuity of supply. In this regard, the Ireland Pavilion didn’t disappoint. It used Douglas fir in the main structure and oak in the sculpture, which will be featured in the coming weeks.
Planning and delivering Expo 25 in Ireland and Japan – from Enniskeane to Osaka
Japan began planning Expo 25 over 10 years ago and made its formal successful bid to host the event in 2017, which was accepted the following year. Ireland decided to get involved shortly after mainly because of our strong cultural and trading ties with Japan, which have accelerated in recent years after beginning slowly from 1957 when both countries officially established diplomatic relations.
Japan’s Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Norio Maruyama (sixth from left), took a keen interest in the timber used in the Ireland Pavilion at Wood Expo 25. With him at GP Wood sawmill in Enniskeane, Co Cork last year, where he was shown through the mill by Niall Grainger MD, (from left): Des O’Toole, Coillte and Forest Industries Ireland; Michael Russell, GP Wood (GPW); Eddie Knowles, GPW; Susan Grainger, GPW; Niall Grainger GPW; Brian O’Brien, Department of Foreign Affairs; Michael O’Regan, GPW; Adrian White, GPW; Conor McSwiney, GPW; Sarah Heery, OPW; Bridget O’Gorman, OPW; and Gerard Harvey, OPW. \GP Wood
Commercial and cultural exchanges gradually increased between the two countries over the years especially from 1973 when Ireland opened an embassy in Tokyo. In 2024, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin launched Ireland’s participation in Expo 25. “Japan is Ireland’s second largest trading partner in Asia, with a €23bn two-way trading relationship,” he said.
“Participation in Expo Osaka is part of the Global Ireland strategy to build Ireland’s impact and visibility in the world,” he added. Irish participation in Expo coincided with the opening of Ireland House in Tokyo, which I visited after Expo 25. It houses the Irish Embassy, along with key State trading agencies and, at €27m, represents Ireland’s largest overseas capital investment.
Ireland decided to feature wood in its pavilion at the event in 2022 to complement the strong timber content of the Grand Wall that surrounds Expo 25. Home-grown Douglas fir was chosen for the main structure, which was designed by Office of Public Works architects in Ireland and TSP Taiyo in Japan. Oak was chosen along with bronze and gold for the sculpture at the pavilion entrance. Designed by Joseph Walsh Studios, it demonstrates Ireland’s traditional use of these materials in craft, construction and design.
Douglas fir, sourced in Coillte forests, was sawn and dried by GP Wood to OPW design specifications before it was packaged and transported to the Expo 25 site in Osaka for assembly. \GP Wood.
The Douglas fir trees were selected in 2023 from stands in Coillte forests of Crehanagh, Co Waterford, Garryduff, Co Kilkenny and Ballymanus, Co Wicklow. The following year, 217m³ of logs were delivered to GP Wood Sawmill in Enniskeane, Co Cork where they were sawn and dried to a specification by the designers, before they were shipped to Osaka.
Meanwhile, 25 miles to the east, the Riverstick-based Joseph Walsh Studio crafts-people were creating Magnus RINN, which is their first outdoor sculpture. “Magnus RINN is a circular form, transitioning from bronze to wood and finished in a gold gilding,” said Joseph Walsh.
Ireland and Japan are poles apart when it comes to wood design and usage, so using wood as a major element in the Irish Pavilion at Expo 25 in Osaka could be viewed as a daring, if risky, proposition. Japan has a wood culture, which stems from its vast forest resource, unlike Ireland which lost its forests over the millennia and as a result developed a masonry culture.
This thought hit home to me as I glimpsed the gigantic mass timber structure or Grand Wall that surrounds Expo 25 located on the 155-ha artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay. Even though my taxi had still a few kilometres to travel before reaching its destination, the Grand Ring, looming on the horizon, makes a powerful statement about Japan’s ability to combine modern wood technology with traditional craft.
Designed by Japanese architect, Sou Fujimoto, the structure uses Japanese cedar or sugi and Japanese cypress or hinoki as the main species. There is also a nod towards Europe as imported Scots pine – Ireland’s only native timber species – formed 30% of the timber used in the 20m high, 30m wide and 2.5km long circular structure.
The Grand Ring combines contemporary building technologies with traditional wooden nuki carpentry, which uses mortise and tenon joints regardless of the building’s size. The resultant sturdy construction has a roof and a top platform reached by five escalators and six elevators – where it was possible to reach the “skywalk” and view the pavilions along its circumference.
Acknowledged in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest wooden structure in the world, it is a welcome respite from the sweltering 37°C and high humidity on the day I visited in September. Expo 25 had another month to run, when eventually 25 million people would visit this global trade, technology, health, culture and environment event since it opened its doors last April.
The Expo 25 message “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” had three sub themes “Saving Lives”, “Empowering Lives” and “Connecting Lives”. In all, 158 countries participated in the event as well as other trade and international organisations. Ireland, along with countries such as Nepal, Spain, Germany and Azerbaijan located its pavilion in the “Connecting Lives” zone.
Like Ireland, most of the structures had a high wood content with species diversity from sugi to spruce and bamboo to birch.
The timber-using countries included Japan, China, Nordic countries, Czechia (Czech Republic), Germany and Malaysia. Some countries opted for other materials including Brazil (steel and brick), Azerbaijan (stone, steel, aluminium and ceramics) and the UK (aluminium panels).
Nations using wood are now opting for engineered mass wood, sourced from production forest as was evidenced throughout, especially by Czechia, which relied on cross laminated timber (CLT) and Germany which used glulam timber.
Engineered wood is now regarded as a major structural component in making a positive impact in construction to decarbonise the building sector which is the greatest emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG). However, there was plenty of evidence in Expo 25 that traditional woodworking also has a role to play.
The message is to use wood, but from sustainably managed forests to ensure continuity of supply. In this regard, the Ireland Pavilion didn’t disappoint. It used Douglas fir in the main structure and oak in the sculpture, which will be featured in the coming weeks.
Planning and delivering Expo 25 in Ireland and Japan – from Enniskeane to Osaka
Japan began planning Expo 25 over 10 years ago and made its formal successful bid to host the event in 2017, which was accepted the following year. Ireland decided to get involved shortly after mainly because of our strong cultural and trading ties with Japan, which have accelerated in recent years after beginning slowly from 1957 when both countries officially established diplomatic relations.
Japan’s Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Norio Maruyama (sixth from left), took a keen interest in the timber used in the Ireland Pavilion at Wood Expo 25. With him at GP Wood sawmill in Enniskeane, Co Cork last year, where he was shown through the mill by Niall Grainger MD, (from left): Des O’Toole, Coillte and Forest Industries Ireland; Michael Russell, GP Wood (GPW); Eddie Knowles, GPW; Susan Grainger, GPW; Niall Grainger GPW; Brian O’Brien, Department of Foreign Affairs; Michael O’Regan, GPW; Adrian White, GPW; Conor McSwiney, GPW; Sarah Heery, OPW; Bridget O’Gorman, OPW; and Gerard Harvey, OPW. \GP Wood
Commercial and cultural exchanges gradually increased between the two countries over the years especially from 1973 when Ireland opened an embassy in Tokyo. In 2024, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin launched Ireland’s participation in Expo 25. “Japan is Ireland’s second largest trading partner in Asia, with a €23bn two-way trading relationship,” he said.
“Participation in Expo Osaka is part of the Global Ireland strategy to build Ireland’s impact and visibility in the world,” he added. Irish participation in Expo coincided with the opening of Ireland House in Tokyo, which I visited after Expo 25. It houses the Irish Embassy, along with key State trading agencies and, at €27m, represents Ireland’s largest overseas capital investment.
Ireland decided to feature wood in its pavilion at the event in 2022 to complement the strong timber content of the Grand Wall that surrounds Expo 25. Home-grown Douglas fir was chosen for the main structure, which was designed by Office of Public Works architects in Ireland and TSP Taiyo in Japan. Oak was chosen along with bronze and gold for the sculpture at the pavilion entrance. Designed by Joseph Walsh Studios, it demonstrates Ireland’s traditional use of these materials in craft, construction and design.
Douglas fir, sourced in Coillte forests, was sawn and dried by GP Wood to OPW design specifications before it was packaged and transported to the Expo 25 site in Osaka for assembly. \GP Wood.
The Douglas fir trees were selected in 2023 from stands in Coillte forests of Crehanagh, Co Waterford, Garryduff, Co Kilkenny and Ballymanus, Co Wicklow. The following year, 217m³ of logs were delivered to GP Wood Sawmill in Enniskeane, Co Cork where they were sawn and dried to a specification by the designers, before they were shipped to Osaka.
Meanwhile, 25 miles to the east, the Riverstick-based Joseph Walsh Studio crafts-people were creating Magnus RINN, which is their first outdoor sculpture. “Magnus RINN is a circular form, transitioning from bronze to wood and finished in a gold gilding,” said Joseph Walsh.
SHARING OPTIONS