The Grand Ring, an impressive wooden footbridge almost 2 km in circumference, has been inaugurated as one of the major protagonists of the Osaka World Expo 2025. Designed by the renowned Sou Fujimoto Architects studio, this structure consolidates its position as the largest of its kind in the world, according to the official certification of the Guinness Book of Records.
The world’s largest wooden structure
Rising up to 12 meters high and surrounding the entire expo site, the Grand Ring reflects the concept of “Unity in Diversity”. With its Sky Walk, an overhead walkway dotted with flowers, it invites visitors to walk around the site enjoying panoramic views and a path protected from wind, rain and sun.
The work combines contemporary engineering with the traditional Japanese Nuki method, characterized by wood assemblies without nails or screws. For its construction, mainly Japanese cypress and cedar were used, together with imported Scots pine, consolidating an example of sustainable architecture that respects ancestral techniques.
An infrastructure designed for the future
Originally conceived to be dismantled after the Expo closes on October 13, local authorities are considering keeping the Grand Ring permanently. Citizen proposals are being received for future uses of this monumental walkway, opening up the possibility of turning it into an enduring icon in the style of the Eiffel Tower.
The Grand Ring organizes the flow of visitors and redefines the interaction between architecture, nature and tradition in the same space. This success confirms the growing worldwide trend towards the use of wood as the main material as the main material in large-scale works. Take a closer look in the video below.
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Source and photo: Osaka Expo 2025
