Profile of EXPO Plaza
EXPO Plaza will occupy the open area in the center of the EXPO 2005 site enclosed by the Global Loop. Taking full advantage of its expansive atmosphere, we designed it to serve as space where visitors can relax. Selecting a green environment overall, we decided to lay natural turf in the peripheral area approached from the Global Loop and artificial turf in the area before the stage where crowds will gather during the staging of events, etc. Right in front of EXPO Plaza will rise the Bio-lung, a vertical wall filled with flowers and plants. With a height ranging from 4.5 to 15 meters and a length of 150 meters, it will be dramatically highlighted by mist and light. Similarly, in locations facing the Global Loop, we are constructing the “Winding Walkway,” which will give visitors open-air experience of an aquatic environment. EXPO Plaza as a whole will therefore be a space of relaxation keyed by water and greenery.
Next to EXPO Plaza will be the Food Courts featuring cuisine from around the world and theme restaurants with a panoramic view of the EXPO Plaza from their terraces. Visitors can consequently feast their eyes on the doings in EXPO Plaza while enjoying a delicious meal. EXPO Plaza will also be equipped with a satellite studio broadcasting various programs using the scene in the Plaza as background.
EXPO Plaza symbol mark
Overview of EXPO Plaza
EXPO Plaza front view
EXPO Plaza plan view
EXPO Plaza is grounded in the concept of a “Grand Intercultural Symphony.” To embody this concept as an EXPO 2005 Association Project, EXPO Plaza will provide a venue for interaction with people around the world utilizing IT and digital image technology, as well as down-to-earth, firsthand experience of people and cultures from other countries through events staged there.
We chose “The world is one” for the project concept as an expression of our hope that, by putting people in touch with the world's diversity, this interaction will instill them with a respect for each other's cultures and make them aware how people of all countries and cultures share a love of the earth and family. In keeping with this concept, EXPO Plaza will be a forum where people gather for communication as well as a venue of various cultural events and video programs provided constantly throughout the EXPO 2005 term.
In addition, “EXPO Vision” has been selected for the name of the large screen installed in front of EXPO Plaza. EXPO Vision will show all sorts of image contents as well as footage taken with cameras at EXPO 2005 events.
The large EXPO Vision screen will be in the 840-inch class (7.68 meters high and 19.96 meters wide), and the first outdoor one to have HDTV capabilities (960 lines). Applying high-luminosity light-emitting diodes (LEDs), it will be able to provide bright images in spite of the open-air location (see Document 1).
EXPO Vision will be installed in the middle of the Bio-lung, on the wall at the rear of the EXPO Plaza stage (30 meters wide and 14 meters deep).
In the creation of the EXPO Plaza, the EXPO 2005 Association is being joined by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., NTT DoCoMo, Inc., NTT DoCoMo Tokai, Inc., and Media Asahi (a consortium of Asahi Shimbun, TV Asahi Corporation, Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, and Nagoya Broadcasting Network) as official partners.
Image of the configuration of EXPO Plaza
Throughout the run of EXPO 2005, EXPO Plaza will be the scene of a variety of contents right from the beginning to the end of each day. The large-screen EXPO Vision will regularly display a diversity of contents, i.e., symbol contents manifesting the Plaza theme, theme contents prepared by official partners, and highly artistic planning contents.
Around noon and in the evening, the Plaza stage will feature events organized with the participation of parties such as the official participants and local governments as well as performances of “The Forest Fairy's Ball” (already announced), a regular event produced by Mr. Tatuya Ishii. It will also be the site of the Opening Event (tentative title) produced by Mr. Kansai Yamamoto, and many other events.
Image contents displayed by the large-screen EXPO Vision
| Symbol contents representing the Plaza theme | About 2 hours per day |
| Theme contents prepared by the official partners | About 3.5 hours per day |
| Highly artistic planning contents | About 3.5 hours per day |
Events taking place on the stage and in the Plaza
| Events with the participation of official participants or local governments | About 2 hours in the afternoon |
| Regular event produced by Tatuya Ishii | About 1 hour in the evening |
| Various other events | At various times |
Contents displayed by large-screen EXPO Vision
