Designed by EXTUDIO, ENORME Studio, and Smart & Green Design under the theme “The Kuroshio Current,” the Spanish Pavilion is the result of a design selectedthroughacompetitionorganisedbyAcciónCulturalEspañola.TheoceanservesasthenarrativethreadthroughwhichSpainpresents itself at the Expo: an element that refers to national identity while also standing as a universal symbol and one of the planet’s most vital resources.

Covering 3,500 square meters, the pavilion offers visitors a unique architectural and exhibition experience, showcasing the country’s innovation, culture, and productive activity. Over six months, companies, regional authorities, and other institutions will use its spaces for meetings, presentations, and forums. In this way, architecture becomes a strategic tool for international visibility. The Spanish Pavilion blends local character with a collective experience of global reach, where every visitor feels welcomed. It also highlights one of the historical ties between Spain and Japan: in the 16th century, the Basque navigatorAndrés de Urdaneta established a prosperous maritime route between the Japanese archipelago and the Viceroyalty of New Spain, aided by the Kuroshio current flowing through theNorth Pacific. This legacy inspires and gives meaning to the pavilion’s motto.

Unlike other pavilions that rely on imposing façades, Spain’s contribution proposes an open and welcoming architecture. It is designed as a landscape that invites visitors into a spacious front void—a square inspired by the Mediterranean spirit, encouraging play, rest, and interaction. “We wanted people to sit, relax, meet… almost like sitting by the seashore,” explains the design team. After gentle steps that simulate sea waves, visitors arrive at the anteroom of the exhibition: the Plaza del Sol. This space is presided over by an LED screen displaying seven video artworks that explore the symbolism of the sun—its role in sustaining the planet’s balance and its potential to spark the imagination of a more sustainable future. Behind this “digital façade”, the exhibition unfolds along a descending ramp, evoking the sensation of a dive. Wrapped in ultramarine tones, the route simulates an immersion into the ocean’s depths, leading to the exit, where a multipurpose room, a shop, and a seafood restaurant are located. Positioned at street level and connected to the Grand Ring, the exit features a more vivid colour palette and a 360º audiovisual installation that captures the festive spirit of Spain and its people—a symbolic return to the light.