site.btaBulgarian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Offers Vision of World of Cooperation Between People, Nature - Pavilion's Designers

The Bulgarian pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka offers a vision of a world of cooperation between people and nature, BTA learned from two of its designers - architect Maria Gospodinova, who was involved in the pavilion’s conceptual interior design, and architect Hiroto Kobayashi, who designed the building.

"We wanted to create a space that is dynamic and inspiring and one that fosters a connection with nature. Our space is inspired by nature. Visitors step into a forest where roots from the past grow into fruit in the present. The story of Bulgaria's past and present is told through video, on screens. After this experience, visitors enter a second, 360-degree space enhanced by 3D mapping. A space that transports us to the future, as each of us is responsible for it," Gospodinova said. She noted that visitors have the opportunity to leave their personal messages when visiting the Bulgarian pavilion. 

"Our concept was to design a pavilion that is open to all," Kobayashi said. "From the outside, you see a glass façade that allows you to look in - and from the inside, you can see out," he said, stressing that this way the space attracts visitors from all over the world, not only Bulgarians or Japanese.

Bulgaria's pavilion is strategically located next to one of the main entrances of the expo grounds, between the pavilions of Singapore and the Netherlands. The pavilion showcases this country’s contribution to global challenges, focusing on the sub-theme Saving Lives. On the first day of the expo, the pavilion received praise from architect Fujimoto, who designed the iconic large wooden encircling the expo grounds. In a post on X, he shared a photo of the Bulgarian pavilion with the caption: “Simple and beautiful”.

Since its official opening on April 13, the pavilion has welcomed over 50,000 visitors and continues to operate at full capacity daily, according to the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency.

On May 18, Bulgaria Day was celebrated at Osaka Expo 2025 with a cultural and musical programme. The pavilion was visited by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who is leading a delegation on an official visit to Japan.