EXPO 2025 OSAKA: ALCANTARA TAKES CENTER STAGE AT THE ITALY PAVILION

The Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, themed Art Regenerates Life and designed by MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects, becomes a prestigious stage for Alcantara, which enhances several areas and partitions of the structure. An immersive and multisensory journey, conceived as a voyage through contemporary Italian identity, where history, innovation, and creativity converge.
Each space is designed as an autonomous yet interconnected narrative scene, capable of evoking emotions, sparking reflection and encouraging active engagement.

Visual by MCA Visual

Conceived as a contemporary reinterpretation of the Renaissance Ideal City, the Italy Pavilion is designed as an open, permeable and welcoming architecture that reimagines the values of Italian hospitality and landscape in a modern key.
The project develops a fluid and modular language, where transparency, natural light, and materials define the space and guide the visitor’s experience.

Within this context, Alcantara plays a central role as an ambassador of Made in Italy, enriching some of the most evocative spaces with installations ranging from partitions inspired by traditional Japanese noren to theatrical red curtains — creating a unique experience that delights both the eyes and the touch.

The grand colonnade leading to the wooden theatre — an authentic scenic machine and the focal point of the Italy Pavilion — is framed by an exquisite Alcantara drapery in a deep burgundy hue. These elegant curtains welcome and guide visitors through an immersive, multisensory journey.

©Yumeng Zhu

The Bilateral Room holds particular significance, enriched by Alcantara partitions inspired in form by traditional Japanese noren. Presented in the Dune shade and customized using laser technique, the tone-on-tone engravings on the material feature the Italy Pavilion logo and the arch motif that serves as a common thread throughout the architectural design.

Typically found at the entrances of shops or homes in Japan, noren have been reinterpreted through Alcantara’s vision — both aesthetically and conceptually — becoming a metaphor for the encounter between the cultural identities of Italy and Japan.

More than just a design feature, they serve as an architectural and cultural element that invites visitors into a space of exploration, dialogue and discovery.

To further enrich the exhibition path and highlight Alcantara’s strong connection with the worlds of art and design, several works by Alberto Biasi—master of Italian kinetic art—have been selected. His three variations of Dinamica Ottica, created using white, light blue, and black Alcantara strips, showcase the material’s natural inclination to become a privileged medium for artistic and cultural expression.

“Participation in Expo 2025 Osaka represents an important opportunity for Alcantara to gain international visibility, as well as a chance to highlight the quality, versatility, and commitment to sustainability that have always defined our material,” said Eugenio Lolli, President and CEO of Alcantara. “Being an active part of such a significant project, in collaboration with Italian institutions and prestigious design partners, strengthens our mission to promote Italian excellence worldwide.”

“Experimentation, Made in Italy, Design: Alcantara’s presence in the Italy Pavilion brings with it the hallmarks of Italian creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, telling a story of excellence and continuous innovation on the global stage of Expo,” commented Ambassador Mario Vattani, Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka.
“Alcantara perfectly embodies the image of Italy we want to present at the Expo: a country capable of blending tradition with new technologies, with its eyes firmly set on the future.”

©Yumeng Zhu

Alcantara’s presence within the Italy Pavilion reflects a broader vision of dialogue—between cultures, between art and industry, between tradition and cutting-edge technologies. It is a tangible and sensitive narrative of our country’s contemporary identity, told through a unique and recognizable material.