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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 … <\/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":"\nsou fujimoto\u2019s monumental timber ring anchors the expo<\/strong><\/h2>\n