The Spanish Pavilion is consolidating its position as one of the favorites at Expo 2025 Osaka.

The Spanish Pavilion at the Osaka Expo in Japan has been selected as a finalist in six categories of the 2025 World Expolympics, an international competition that recognizes, among other things, the design, execution, and impact of the exhibition offerings at the event, which opened on April 13 and closes on October 13.

Spain is among the finalists in the categories of Best Exterior Architecture, Best Sustainable Pavilion, Best Thematic Concept, Best Presentation, Best Exhibition, and Best Large Pavilion.

According to the competition organizer, The Experiential Design Authority (TEDA), only Saudi Arabia surpasses the Spanish Pavilion, with seven categories.

The façade of the Spanish Pavilion symbolizes the sea reflecting the sun and is made with ceramics manufactured in the Catalan workshop of Cumella, the same supplier of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona.

The Spanish Pavilion uses approximately 600 tons of wood, including Japanese larch, a coniferous variety from Nagano Prefecture, and Japanese cypress from Ehime Prefecture.

The theme of the Spanish Pavilion is The Kuroshio Current, the movement of water in the Pacific Ocean that enabled the "tornaviaje" (return voyage), the return from Asia to the Americas via the North Pacific, first used by the Basque navigator Andrés de Urdaneta in 1565 and the origin of the Manila Galleon trade route, which operated until the 19th century.

A series of descending ramps within a space decorated with images of oceanic animals and sounds reminiscent of the deep sea create an immersive experience.

With a surface area of ​​3,000 square meters, the Spanish Pavilion is one of the largest national pavilions at Expo 2025 Osaka, where more than 150 countries and territories from around the world are participating.

The architectural design and comprehensive exhibition offering for the Spanish Pavilion was awarded through an open public competition to the joint venture KUROSHIO OSAKA 2025, comprised of the Spanish architectural firms Enorme Studio S.L.P., Smart and Green Design, S.L., and Néstor Montenegro Mateos. The project was built by the Japanese construction firm Murakami General Construction Co., Ltd.

By the end of August, the Spanish Pavilion had exceeded 2.5 million visitors.

The 2025 World Expolympics finalists were selected through an evaluation process that included 32 judges who assessed the proposals based on concept/design, creativity/innovation, participation/immersion, execution/manufacturing, and overall impact.

"This competition was created to highlight the incredible talent and imagination that drives our industry on the world stage," said Travis Stanton, CEO of TEDA, in a statement. "The finalists represent the best of experience design today: projects that not only capture attention, but also inspire, connect, and transform the way people interact with spaces and stories."

The gold, silver, and bronze award winners in each category will be announced during a special event on September 23 at the U.S. Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.