Interview
Opening Construction Sites to Society, Toward a Sustainable Future. GREEN×EXPO 2027: Discussing the Exhibition Design Concept for Obayashi Corporation Pavilion
In December 2024, Obayashi Corporation announced its intention to exhibit at "GREEN×EXPO 2027," scheduled for March 2027 at the former Kamiseya Communication Facility in Asahi Ward and Seya Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Nearly a year has passed since then, and the project is taking shape. This article is the first in a series following that process. Three project members discuss the concept established for the exhibition and the vision behind the pavilion design.
Profile
OBAYASHI CORPORATION
Manager
GREEN×EXPO 2027 Pavilion Project Team
Hitomi Kakuno
Joined the company in 2005. After working in administrative departments including public relations, accounting, human resources, sales planning, and site administration, she assumed her current position in April 2025. Primarily responsible for management duties.
OBAYASHI CORPORATION
Manager
Proposal Section. Proposal Management Department
Makoto Kurihara
After gaining experience in concept work focused on clearly defining and articulating fundamental ideas at real estate developers, advertising agencies, and entertainment companies, joined the company in 2021. Participated in the kickoff for the GREEN×EXPO 2027 exhibition around October 2024. Also involved in concept work and judging the pavilion design competition.
OBAYASHI CORPORATION
Manager
Architectual Design Department
Hiroki Minoura
Joined the company in 2010. Worked in various locations including Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, handling architectural design for hotels, research institutes, offices, music halls, libraries, and more. Selected as the top "Platinum" winner in an internal design competition for the pavilion and participated in the project.
Index
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Value for the Future Cultivated through Three Months of Discussion "Embrace Nature, Embrace Happiness"
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Opening Construction Sites—Spaces Enclosed by Temporary Fencing—to Society, and Transforming the Building Itself into an Exhibition Space, Rather Than Merely a "Box for Displays"
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Construction is Entering Its Start-Up Phase —Aiming to Surpass the Vibrancy of the "Obayashi Tower" Exhibited 123 Years Ago!
Value for the Future Cultivated through Three Months of Discussion "Embrace Nature, Embrace Happiness"
Kurihara
First, let me explain why Obayashi Corporation decided to exhibit at GREEN×EXPO 2027. The starting point was the strong alignment between our fundamental philosophy of contributing to the realization of a sustainable society and the expo's theme, "Scenery of the Future for Happiness." Furthermore, a major objective was to widely demonstrate Obayashi Corporation's fundamental philosophy to society by exhibiting under our company name at this A1-class International Horticultural Exposition. This marks Japan's first such event in 37 years since the "Flower Expo" held in Osaka in 1990. When the proposal was presented to then-Vice President Sato (now President), he instructed us to approach it by delving deeper into the company's brand vision, "MAKE BEYOND: Transcending the art and science of making things." Around October 2024, a team of about 20 members was assembled, primarily young employees drawn from across the company, including sales, construction, and design. However, while our primary business as a general contractor is undertaking construction projects based on client requests, we lacked the know-how to take the lead in creating and exhibiting something ourselves. So, we started by unpacking the theme of GREEN×EXPO 2027 and interpreting it in our own way.
Kakuno
I joined in April 2025, so I wasn't part of those initial discussions. But the theme of GREEN×EXPO 2027, "Scenery of the Future for Happiness," the Obayashi Group's concept of sustainability embodied in the "Obayashi Sustainability Vision 2050" aiming for harmony between the earth, society, and people, as well as the world envisioned by Generation Alpha (those born between 2010 and 2024), our primary target visitor demographic. We held repeated discussions centered on what could fulfill all three of these elements.
Kurihara
Yes. After about three months of discussion, we settled on the exhibition concept "New Sustainable Life with MAKE BEYOND." The use of "with" is the key, signifying our stance of "working together with society." From there, we defined our future value proposition: "Embrace Nature, Embrace Happiness." This wasn't something someone just blurted out; it emerged after countless brainstorming sessions, a breakthrough moment that crystallized into this phrase. "Nature" also implies "no need to endure hardship." Since there's no need to endure, it can be sustained effortlessly. This carries the message that we should aim for the best form for each individual.
Kakuno
Underlying this concept is the idea that "happiness exists differently for each person, and we don't ask anyone to endure hardship." While humanity has enriched our lives through manufacturing, we've also forced the earth to endure things like global warming. So, can both people and the earth achieve comfortable happiness without enduring hardship? We want to embody a world where a gentle, peaceful state continues not just for ourselves, but for those around us, the earth, and the future. That's the answer we arrived at as our exhibition concept.
Minoura
In recent years, sustainability has become an essential consideration in construction design. I joined this project as the construction of the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan was nearing completion. Discussions arose about repurposing the Grand Ring after the Expo, and sustainability will undoubtedly become an increasingly critical focus moving forward.
Opening Construction Sites—Spaces Enclosed by Temporary Fencing—to Society, and Transforming the Building Itself into an Exhibition Space, Rather Than Merely a "Box for Displays"
Kurihara
As a general contractor, we naturally have a history of designing and constructing every building with deep dedication. Therefore, when preparing for our exhibition at GREEN×EXPO 2027, we believed our Architectural Design & Engineering Division—comprising about 1,000 members—would generate numerous ideas for our own pavilion. This led us to hold an internal design competition. The period was very short, only about one month in February 2025, yet approximately 70 people participated, submitting around 40 proposals. During the evaluation, when we laid out all the proposals spread out on the conference room table, it was spectacular. It reminded us of our designers’ passion. Moreover, we received submissions from a wide range of generations, from young employees to department heads, which also made us keenly aware of the high motivation within the department. Following the selection process, we decided to proceed with the project based on the winning "Platinum" proposal by Minoura.
Minoura
In regular design work, we have constraints like client requests and building purposes. But this competition's theme was purely about expressing Obayashi Corporation. It made me want to take on the challenge, and of course, it fired me up (laughs). After the competition ended, I received many comments like "That's a great proposal" from colleagues, and even inquiries from younger staff I didn't know personally, asking things like "How did you create that?"
Kakuno
What does "expressing Obayashi Corporation" mean to you, Minoura?
Minoura
When delving into the pavilion design for the competition, the most accessible concept became "MAKE BEYOND: Transcending the art and science of making things." So we set the concept to open up construction sites—generally perceived as "spaces enclosed by temporary fencing"—to society and let visitors experience them firsthand. Another key principle was to transform the building itself into the exhibition space, rather than merely a "box for displays," which is often seen in conventional exhibition halls. As part of this, we incorporated ideas like using 3D‑printed walls to serve directly as signage and exhibits, guiding visitors. While 3D printing was not feasible for this time around due to considerations related to the circular economy, I always prioritize sequences—how people walk through, perceive the space, and feel it—in my designs. This pavilion design was no exception. I hope visitors truly sense the potential of Obayashi Corporation and the construction industry.
Kakuno
Minoura's competition proposal incorporated a step beyond conventional exhibition halls, where the hall itself becomes part of the exhibition. I believe his curved exhibition hall, symbolizing Obayashi Corporation's current technology, was a proposal capable of making a significant impact. Regarding the walls mentioned earlier, created using 3D printers, we are currently exploring turning them into wooden temporary fencing. Furthermore, including the structural framework supporting the building, our envisioned pavilion is planned not to be simply dismantled after the exposition ends, but to be reused at other construction sites. This approach, considering everything from construction to post-demolition, fully aligns with the sustainability mindset of the "Obayashi Sustainability Vision 2050." Viewers might find it more intriguing to imagine that "somewhere in the future, they might encounter parts of this pavilion again."
Construction is Entering Its Start-Up Phase —Aiming to Surpass the Vibrancy of the "Obayashi Tower" Exhibited 123 Years Ago!
Kurihara
In the competition, beyond the Platinum award, there were also Gold, Silver, and Bronze evaluation criteria, and numerous brilliant ideas were difficult to rank. Taking these elements into consideration while reviewing the plans, the current phase is nearing completion of the implementation design. This design, based on Minoura's proposal and centered around the keyword "opening up the construction site," has been progressing steadily. Construction of the pavilion is planned to take about one year. We have now reached the stage of commencing construction, aiming for the March 2027 opening. Concurrently, we plan to continue refining the decorative elements and optional features.
Kakuno
Regarding the pavilion's content, while details remain confidential, we plan to create two themed zones: "A nation that built an ideal city coexisting with nature" and "A nation where life in outer space has become part of everyday life." Beyond displays and videos, we're preparing experiential content. We hope visitors will connect with our exhibition concept through these experiences and join us in building a world where "Embrace Nature, Embrace Happiness."
Kurihara
We hope visitors will see not only our technical capabilities but also our commitment to building a better future, leaving them thinking, "Obayashi Corporation is pretty impressive." But honestly, we don't want them to overthink it. We just want them to enjoy their time in the two themed zones and take away something meaningful—even just one thing—and that would be a huge success. Personally, I plan to bring my son once it opens. When I was a child, I visited the Yokohama Expo, and the fun and surprising experiences from that time still remain vivid in my memory. If GREEN×EXPO 2027 becomes a similar experience for my son, and he feels even a little bit like, "My dad works for a company making positive contributions toward the future..." that would be the greatest joy a father could ask for.
Minoura
I’m also planning to show it to my son. I want him to say, "Wow, Dad's company can do this! I want to do the same job as Dad when I grow up!"
Kurihara
Let's both keep doing good work for our kids' sake (laughs). By the way, people often assume this is the first time Obayashi Corporation has prominently featured its name in a event like GREEN×EXPO 2027, with a dedicated exhibition hall bearing the name. But actually, that's not the case. Historically, in 1903 (Meiji 36), at the Fifth National Industrial Exposition held in Osaka (a domestic products exposition held as part of the Meiji government's industrial promotion policy), we constructed the "Obayashi Tower" – Japan's first wooden structure equipped with an elevator. It became a huge sensation. Although the Obayashi Tower was neither a building created for exhibition purposes nor something built for an international exposition, our current exhibition marks Obayashi Corporation's second challenge, over 120 years later. We aim to surpass the acclaim of the Obayashi Tower and create something truly vibrant.
Kakuno
The Obayashi Tower was built not at the government's request, but on the personal initiative of Obayashi Corporation's founder, Yoshigoro Obayashi. Personally, of course I naturally want visitors to enjoy this pavilion, but I also hope that the many people involved both inside and outside the company feel a sense of accomplishment and pride, thinking, "I was part of creating this pavilion!" Since joining the project team in April 2025 until now, we've come this far thanks to the cooperation and ideas of countless people. I'm sure the Obayashi Tower was also built in the same way, through the wisdom and passion of many people. As the project materializes further, we will inevitably connect with even more people. I look forward to seeing who will become newly involved with this pavilion as we move toward opening day. And I would be delighted if, upon seeing this pavilion filled with so many people's aspirations, even one more child who will carry the construction industry into the future—and potentially become a future colleague at Obayashi Corporation—is inspired.
The departments and job titles shown are current as of January 2026.
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