Swiss Pavilion: From Heidi to High Tech!
- BT
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
As a founding member of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Switzerland has been part of a majority of world exhibitions, and this year’s World Expo in Osaka, Japan is no different.
The Switzerland Pavilion, or the Swiss Pavilion, is located in the ‘Empowering Life’ zone of the expo, offering 260 sq m of immersive and interactive experiences. Recognisable by its spherical architecture, the Swiss Pavilion is designed to minimise carbon footprint by creating PVC-coated PES membrane, additional curved steel tubes along the edges of the frame and ETFE on the outside. Each sphere, once broken down, weighs less than 450kg, significantly reducing CO2 emissions as well as limitations caused by transportation and construction. Extremely lightweight, the Swiss Pavilion was assembled smoothly without the need for massive machinery, with the smallest ecological footprint of any Swiss Pavilion to date.
Designed by Manuel Hertz Architects, the pavilion consists of 4 interconnected spheres symbolising Values, Vision, Anticipation and Joy under the theme ‘From Heidi to High-Tech’. The official mascot of the pavilion is Heidi, the beloved character from the classic Swiss novel by Johanna Spyri. Visitors can catch a glimpse of Heidi throughout the pavilion, who appears in various spots throughout the exhibits.
In the first sphere, Values, Swiss culture and technological innovation is on full display through a stunning 10m-long 3D paper cutting. This beautiful piece of art illustrates Swiss culture, history and society amidst the country’s breathtaking landscapes and iconic inventions, making it a feast for the eyes and mind.
In Visions, visitors have the chance to further explore collaboration, by exploring their ideas of a future society and sharing their visions. By speaking into devices placed throughout the sphere, visitors can watch as ideas are transformed into large, enchanting bubbles before their eyes. Dozens of these bubbles fill the sphere at a time, bringing together ideas in a spirit of collaboration.
Learn about today’s technological progress and tomorrow’s visionary breakthroughs in the third sphere, Anticipation. As one of the most innovative countries in the world, visitors can catch a glimpse of breakthrough technologies of the future through 3 pavilion themes, which will be held consecutively. The themes are Augmented Human (13 April to 10 June), Life (11 June to 12 August) and Planet (13 August to 13 October), and will explore specific innovations, from AI and synthetic biology to health span extension and ocean stewardship.
The last sphere in the pavilion is Joy, which celebrates Swiss joy, creativity and culture through the symbolic figure of Heidi. After completing the pavilion, visitors can bring home a piece of Switzerland at the pavilion’s gift shop, from one-of-a-kind Double Cream Raspberry KitKat and local beer to sustainable wooden toys.
The star of the Swiss Pavillion is the immensely popular rooftop establishment, the Heidi Café. Open daily, the Heidi Café offers stunning views of the expo as well as a delightful selection of Swiss delicacies, which are enhanced with Japanese flavours.
The Swiss Pavilion is located in the Empowering Life Zone and no reservation is required! The Heidi Café operates independently from the pavilion with its own queue, and is open from 9.30am to 7.30pm while the pavilion itself is open from 9am to 9pm. To know more about the Swiss Pavilion, visit https://vitality.swiss/en
