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The pavilion immerses visitors in an emotional journey through sensory experiences on ascending and descending bridges and within the main structure, placing them as both vulnerable participants and observers of rising sea levels.

Enroaching Waters

Located in Yumeshima, a pavilion for the Osaka World Expo 2025, the project immerses visitors in an emotional journey to experience the realities of sea level rise due to irreversible climate change. Through principles of environmental psychology, the pavilion compresses time that mimics the rising waters, triggering feelings of vulnerability, urgency, reflection and hope. In a world where over 40% question the human impacts on climate change, this pavilion aims to bridge gaps in awareness, educating the present therefore future generations can inspire change. The journey concludes by influencing visitors’ personal behaviour and thus motivated to contribute to collective climate solutions for a sustainable future.

Visitors begins an emotional journey on ascending or descending bridges. The descending bridges compresses time and floods, simulating 1.5°C and 3°C global warming scenarios. These two pathways conveys that no one is safe from rising seas no matter which route is taken, provoking feelings of guilt, fear and urgency.

Visitors begins an emotional journey on ascending or descending bridges. The descending bridges compresses time and floods, simulating 1.5°C and 3°C global warming scenarios. These two pathways conveys that no one is safe from rising seas no matter which route is taken, provoking feelings of guilt, fear and urgency.

Water cascades down the main structure’s façade, creating an enveloping waterfall effect that symbolizes entrapment and fosters individual and collective reflection on addressing climate change.

Water cascades down the main structure’s façade, creating an enveloping waterfall effect that symbolizes entrapment and fosters individual and collective reflection on addressing climate change.

The oculus serves as a focal point, drawing attention upward and symbolizing transformation through collective awareness. This quiet space encourages visitors to reflect, interact, and inspire feelings of hope and change.

The oculus serves as a focal point, drawing attention upward and symbolizing transformation through collective awareness. This quiet space encourages visitors to reflect, interact, and inspire feelings of hope and change.

The diagrams show two pathways within the main structure, an exterior and interior staircase, and their intersection, allowing visitors to choose their own routes. Sociofugal and sociopetal designs from environmental psychology influences human behaviour, fostering self-reflection and inspiring climate change awareness.

The diagrams show two pathways within the main structure, an exterior and interior staircase, and their intersection, allowing visitors to choose their own routes. Sociofugal and sociopetal designs from environmental psychology influences human behaviour, fostering self-reflection and inspiring climate change awareness.

The axonometric view of the pavilion indicates the choices of routes visitors could choose within their journey. As a permanent installation located in Yumeshima, it aims to immerse visitors into the threats of the encroaching waters, allowing visitors to experience the future, feel the urgency and inspire change for a sustainable future.

The axonometric view of the pavilion indicates the choices of routes visitors could choose within their journey. As a permanent installation located in Yumeshima, it aims to immerse visitors into the threats of the encroaching waters, allowing visitors to experience the future, feel the urgency and inspire change for a sustainable future.