The pavilion sits on a triangular plot – an auspicious shape, echoing the form of a traditional Central Asian amulet known as a tumar, which symbolises protection.
More than 11,000 tiles hand-crafted by the master ceramicist Abdulvahid Karimov from Bukhara cover a sweep of wall in the shop area of the pavilion.
Karimov’s tiles reflect a dedicated creative journey of rediscovering and reinterpreting a traditional 16th century tiling technique.
The glazed surfaces of the tiles are a deep shade of turquoise – one of Uzbekistan’s most iconic colours, representing skies and water, eternity and peace.
Inside the shop, visitors can discover crafted creations by leading Uzbek makers, from ceramics by Karimov and Alisher Nazirov and Karimov to the embroidery of Madina Kasymbayeva.
The 'forest’ of trees in the garden of the pavilion, at the apex of the building, was crafted using aromatic Japanese sugi cedar from the mountains surrounding Osaka.
Scattered among the “trees” at the top of the pavilion are a series of clean-lined ceramic stools in deep shades of ocean blue – dreamt up by Japan-born Nada Debs, a Lebanese designer.
The stools were created in collaboration with the specialist Uzbek artisans Karimov and Alisher Nazirov.
All tableware for the Meeting room was handcrafted by Nazirov from Rishtan, using traditional techniques and showcasing the region’s distinctive colour palette.
Decorative cushions were also brought to life by expert artisan Kasymbayeva from Tashkent, using the traditional zardozi technique, which features gold thread and intricate suzani embroidery.
And at the end of Expo? The entire pavilion will be dissembled and reconstructed in Uzbekistan, where it will become a dynamic cultural and community hub.
