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A sweeping timber<\/strong><\/a> ring \u2014 the largest of its kind in the world \u2014 encircles the Expo 2025 Osaka<\/strong><\/a> site on Yumeshima Island, Japan, anchoring the world fair. Conceived by Sou Fujimoto<\/strong><\/a>, the Grand Ring serves as the Expo\u2019s circulatory core and forms a new landmark on the island, connecting national pavilions, performance venues, and public spaces beneath an expansive wooden canopy that doubles as a skywalk. A new series of photographs<\/strong><\/a> by William Mulvihill captures the complete structure in striking detail, highlighting its scale, construction, lightness, atmosphere, and material elegance. Following the photographer\u2019s visual journey capturing the Expo\u2019s national pavilions<\/strong><\/a>, this new series documents the monumental structure\u2019s vast footprint while highlighting the intricacy of its lattice of timber beams.<\/p>\n all images by William Mulvihill<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Spanning over 60,000 square meters and stretching 2 kilometers in circumference, the Grand Ring is now the largest timber structure in the world. It rises between 12 and 22 meters in height and is made from a combination of local Japanese sugi cedar, hinoki cypress, and Scots pine glulam, joined using traditional Japanese nuki joinery techniques. Built in collaboration with Tohata Architects & Engineers and Azusa Sekkei, the project exemplifies expressions of heritage craftsmanship merged with contemporary structural engineering, designed to resist earthquakes while maintaining a delicate and open character for its life during the Expo and beyond.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Fujimoto<\/strong><\/a> has described the ring as \u2018a symbol of our times,\u2019 shaping it as a circular space that promotes collective experience alongside ecological sensitivity. The structure shelters visitors from sun and rain below, while a continuous elevated deck above provides panoramic views of the Expo site and Osaka Bay.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n William Mulvihill captures the pavilions of Expo 2025 Osaka<\/p>\n Sou Fujimoto\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> Grand Ring becomes the protagonist of the series<\/p>\n the structure serves as the Expo\u2019s circulatory core and forms a new landmark on the island<\/p>\n highlighting scale, construction, lightness, atmosphere, and material elegance<\/p>\n the Grand Ring is now the largest timber structure in the world<\/p>\n joined using traditional Japanese nuki joinery techniques<\/p>\n Fujimoto has described the ring as \u2018a symbol of our times\u2019<\/p>\n the project exemplifies expressions of heritage craftsmanship merged with contemporary structural engineering<\/p>\n atop it\u2019s an expansive wooden canopy that doubles as a skywalk<\/p>\n the continuous elevated deck above provides panoramic views of the Expo site<\/p>\n designed to resist earthquakes<\/p>\n a circular space that promotes collective experience alongside ecological sensitivity<\/p>\n the series documents the monumental structure\u2019s vast footprint<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n name: <\/strong>Grand Ring<\/p>\n architect:<\/strong>\u00a0Sou Fujimoto<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0@sou_fujimoto<\/a><\/p>\n photographer:\u00a0<\/strong>William Mulvihill<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0@williamulvihill<\/a><\/p>\n location:\u00a0<\/strong>Osaka, Japan<\/p>\n The post william mulvihill captures material intricacy of sou fujimoto\u2019s grand ring at expo 2025 osaka<\/a> appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" william mulvihill continues his expo 2025 osaka photoseries \u00a0 A sweeping timber ring \u2014 the largest of its kind in the world \u2014 encircles the Expo 2025 Osaka site on Yumeshima Island, Japan, anchoring the world fair. Conceived by Sou Fujimoto, the Grand Ring serves as the Expo\u2019s circulatory core and forms a new landmark […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[142],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\nsou fujimoto\u2019s monumental timber ring anchors the expo<\/strong><\/h2>\n