"MANY YEARS LATER, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."— G. García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (translated by Gregory Rabassa).

In One Hundred Years of Solitude, the Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author G. García Márquez vividly captures, through his magic realism, the moment a boy witnesses ice for the first time in the mythical town of Macondo. Drawing inspiration from this poignant scene, the Colombian Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo embraces the concept of ICE CUBE, featuring a façade design composed of numerous translucent cubes set in various directions, to convey a sense of movement and articulation. At first, the façade presents the visitors with an unlikely association between the country of Colombia and Ice Cubes, only for this connection to unravel as the visitors venture through the pavilion.

The façade ice cubes are constructed from semi-transparent polycarbonate panels and illuminated with lights that can be color-controlled, allowing the façade to take on different expressions throughout the day and night. This dynamic lighting will captivate visitors' attention, serving as a platform to showcase Colombian culture during the Expo. Inside the pavilion, visitors can savor Colombian coffee, a national specialty, at a bar counter located in the entrance hall.

Given the temporary nature of Expo pavilions, the design focused on a short construction period, low cost, and recyclable materials. The main structure was built using a prefabricated light steel frame system, sitting on a floating foundation to mitigate the limitations of the soil conditions on site.

The simple, spacious structure of the light steel frame system allows for flexibility in accommodating various exhibitions, while part of the dug-out space for the floating foundation is efficiently utilized as a mezzanine floor for back-of-house areas. Combining the story-driven façade design with a practical, environmentally sustainable main building, the Colombia Pavilion stands as a fitting and striking presence at the Expo—a place where different cultures converge.

At the same time, the decision to utilize a modular prefabricated light steel structure was driven not only by the need to accelerate construction but also by a vision for the pavilion’s life beyond the temporary Expo event. Its distinctive structural design ensures adaptability, enabling a seamless transition to a more permanent setting beyond the Expo grounds. Discussions are already underway to define the next chapter of its journey.