The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) has announced a design competition for the construction of a joint Baltic (Latvian and Lithuanian) pavilion in the international exhibition Expo 2025 Osaka. The participants of the competition must develop both the content concept and the spatial vision of the pavilion and, if successful, carry out the proposal for a contract amount of up to 2 million euros.
Expo 2025 Osaka will take place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, in Osaka, Kansai region, Japan. The theme chosen for the exhibition is Designing Future Society for Our Lives. Expo will focus on international cooperation in building sustainable societies, as well as the value of each individual life and the enrichment of communities, serving as an important milestone and stepping stone towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their core objective: to realise a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable society that creates and nurtures innovations that not only improve individual lives but also impact on the well-being of society as a whole.
«The exhibition will bring together 160 countries, nine international organisations, and more than 28 million visitors. It is an excellent opportunity to present Latvia and the Baltic region as attractive places for trade, investment, and tourism. The original plan was for all three Baltic States to participate. It was an offer made by the organisers, but Estonia is the only EU member that has decided not to participate, so it is up to Latvia and Lithuania to represent the Baltics. With the Baltic Pavilion, we want to demonstrate the singularity of the region as well as its technological sophistication, so we are looking forward to creative ideas on how to surprise the world,» says Iveta Strupkāja, Acting Director General of LIAA.
The Baltic Pavilion aims to introduce both Japanese and international visitors to Latvia and Lithuania as a united Baltic region, positively surprising them by demonstrating the region’s ability to find innovative solutions when it comes to promoting prosperity and tackling global challenges. Expo 2025 Osaka provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Latvia and Lithuania to learn as well as to showcase the fruits of co-creation, offering the other participants an insight into how to work together towards common goals. The Nordic countries have taken a similar approach. Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark ,and Iceland will form a joint Nordic pavilion at Expo 2025.
International communication of Latvia is rooted in the story of Latvia as a country of creativity, aimed at combining talents from different fields to create sustainable solutions for challenges of different scales, based on the three defined values:
- Environment: Connecting Worlds Apart;
- Mindset: Ready for Any Challenges;
- Progress: Natural Playground.
International communication of Lithuania is based on the story of Lithuania as an open country, ready to co-create with the world, addressing global challenges and offering solutions to pressing issues. In positioning Lithuania as a global player, it is important to highlight the country’s strengths, including innovation, talent, and robust business ecosystems (life sciences, fintech, start-ups, lasers). The values that underpin Lithuania’s strengths are drive, constant growth, and the freedom to create.
The Baltic Pavilion will have 291 square metres of exhibition space in an already constructed building. The pavilion will be located on the left side of the building, where the European Union Pavilion is also to be situated, while the Algerian, Cambodian, Tunisian, and Chilean Pavilions will be on the right. The spaceof the Baltic Pavilion will primarily house a permanent exhibition to be created according to the concept and design solution proposed by the winner of the design contest.
Contestants must submit a content concept, an architectural design proposal and a cost estimate for the pavilion. The entries will be evaluated by a jury from Latvia and Lithuania: Iveta Strupkāja, acting director of LIAA, acting director of the body responsible for Latvia’s participation in Expo 2025; Edmunds Valantis, state secretary of the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia, representative of the Ministry responsible for Latvia’s participation in Expo 2025; Inese Šīrava, director of the LIAA Tourism Department: Zane Biteniece, head of the LIAA Nation Branding Division; Reinis Liepiņš, architect, founder of the Sudraba Arhitektūra, member of the Latvian Association of Architects; Julija Reklaitė, director of Lithuanian Culture Institute; Andrius Geležauskas, Expo Osaka 2025 project manager, Lithuanian Government Office; Eglė Kudzmanienė, communication department adviser, Lithuanian Government Office; Rūta Nemunytė, director of marketing and communication at Invest Lithuania; Gintaras Balčytis, chairman of the Lithuanian Union of Architects.
The competition has a prize fund of 22 000 euros:
- first prize — 10 000 euros;
- second prize — 7 000 euros;
- third prize — 5 000 euros.
Participants can submit their proposals until June 17. Competition regulations and technical specifications are available on the Electronic Procurement System of Latvia.
Viedokļi