The Portugal Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka presents a remarkable fusion of culture and cutting-edge audiovisual technology, establishing a new benchmark for immersive storytelling within international expositions. Conceptualized under the theme “The Ocean, a blue dialogue,” this pavilion invites visitors to embark on a multisensory journey that explores Portugal’s history, language, biodiversity, and identity. This innovative experience was meticulously designed and curated by Kengo Kuma & Associates and Muse, with the intricate audiovisual system integrated by ON, a global creative provider specializing in cutting-edge AVL technology.
The pavilion’s immersive design throughout its sprawling 1,800 m² space uses sophisticated audiovisual layers to envelop visitors from the moment they queue outside. As visitors approach, a bespoke multi-channel soundscape evokes the natural ambiance of ocean waves, wind, and marine life, setting an emotional tone aligned with the pavilion’s narrative. Inside, a series of multimedia “islands” featuring projections, touchscreens, immersive sound, and dynamic lighting lead guests through a narrative voyage. “There are no visible overlaps or warping—just a fluid underwater universe with surround audio that ‘lets the ocean speak,’” the creators shared, highlighting the seamless visual and acoustic integration that deeply engages visitors.
One of the pavilion’s defining features is its masterful concealment of over 100 audiovisual devices within the exhibition’s design. According to ON, the AVL equipment—including high-performance projectors, directional speakers, DMX lighting, and interactive interfaces—was camouflaged or mounted on bespoke brackets to prevent clutter, ensuring the technology serves the storytelling rather than distracting from it. This approach allows the oceanic narrative and the emotional resonance to remain at the forefront, as the technology “disappears” into the environment while enabling smooth content transitions and interactive moments controlled centrally by staff via iPads for discreet, yet sophisticated management.
Delving deeper into the technological marvels, the pavilion features an advanced 16-projector system that blankets the curved walls and floors with high-fidelity ocean visuals rendered through pre-modeled 3D content using the Watchout platform. This enables distortion-free projection mapping with seamless image stitching, critical for creating the immersive underwater realm. Complementing the visuals is a bilingual sound-light installation exploring linguistic ties between Portuguese and Japanese, demonstrating how audio design extends beyond mere ambiance to cultural storytelling. The directional audio arrays provide personal, pinpointed sound experiences, a notable advancement in creating intimate, layered sonic environments within public exhibition spaces.
These integrated technologies—spanning immersive visuals, responsive audio, and interactive elements—embody the next generation of experience design. By embedding AVL systems into the architectural and narrative structure of the pavilion, the Portugal installation exemplifies “technology that disappears” to elevate cultural immersion. Furthermore, ON’s bespoke solutions and adaptive systems, including preventive maintenance and local operator training, ensure reliability and flexibility for hosting diverse events beyond the Expo, from cultural performances to diplomatic engagements.
From a fulldome and immersive media perspective, the Portugal Pavilion’s approach highlights exciting implications for how such content can be created and experienced. The pavilion’s curved, enveloping projection surfaces and multidirectional sound arrays offer a template for fulldome environments seeking to blend narrative depth with technical excellence. The use of pre-rendered 3D content in Watchout’s projection pipeline illustrates the power of integrating advanced rendering workflows with precise calibration to maintain spatial and visual coherence. This sets a new standard for immersive projection quality and content synchronization that fulldome producers can aspire to, especially in storytelling-driven exhibitions.
Moreover, the pavilion invites reconsideration of audience interaction within fulldome spaces. The tactile multimedia pods, interactive touchscreens, and layered soundscapes encourage visitors to move from passive viewers to active participants—an experiential model extending beyond traditional fulldome shows. For educators, creators, and venue operators, this methodology suggests how cultural content, environmental themes, and linguistic narratives can be interwoven using AVL technology to deepen engagement and emotional impact. The primary challenge remains balancing technological complexity with seamless integration, but the Portugal Pavilion demonstrates that thoughtful design and tailored AV solutions can overcome these barriers, making “invisible” technology a powerful cultural translator.
In conclusion, the Portugal Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka stands as a forward-thinking exemplar in immersive design, where advanced audiovisual technology is not merely a support tool but the essence of storytelling itself. It paves the way for future fulldome and immersive exhibitions to harness integrated AVL systems for culturally rich, emotionally compelling experiences, underscoring the potential for technology to create meaningful connections and memorable narratives in cultural spaces worldwide.
Originally reported by Tom Robinson via blooloop.com on 2026-01-07 12:27:00.
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