Design for Osaka Expo 2025 ‘El Salvador’

The El Salvador Pavilion at the World Expo is designed as an immersive journey through three distinct spaces, offering visitors an intimate and human-centered perspective on the country’s cultural, historical, and sensory richness.

By playing with light, color, scent, and taste, the pavilion creates a captivating experience that allows visitors to deeply connect with the soul of El Salvador.

Architecturally and in terms of content, the design alternates between varied scales, lighting levels, reflections, and projections, creating an illusion of infinite space that symbolizes the past, present, and future of the nation.

Introduction Hall: Tradition & Heritage

The first space showcases iconic elements of Salvadoran culture, such as añil (indigo), a natural pigment historically exported to distant places like Japan, the host country of the Expo.

Displayed in a sculptural container, this pigment invites visitors to interact with it, even allowing them to stain or paint themselves with it. The walls become canvases of words, projecting verses and descriptions from Salvadoran authors. Additionally, an innovative screen system reveals hidden images depending on the room’s lighting, creating a dynamic and ever-changing visual experience.

Hall of Reflections: The Infinite & The Intangible

The journey continues into a space where mobile mirrors generate a hallway of infinite reflections, interplaying with projected images on the walls. This arrangement creates an immersive and enigmatic atmosphere, where the perception of space continuously shifts as visitors move through it.

Sensory Café: Aromas & Flavors of El Salvador

The experience culminates in a multi-purpose sensory café, designed to be warm and immersive. Its aesthetics contrast a smooth, white base with a green ceiling made of artificial moss and holographic effects, evoking the country’s lush natural landscapes.

Here, interactive tables allow visitors to explore deeper aspects of Salvadoran identity, while display shelves feature local products, with a special focus on Salvadoran coffee. To complete the experience, guests can enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee, connecting with one of El Salvador’s most iconic exports.