The centerpiece of the 2025 Osaka Expo, the Grand Ring, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's largest wooden structure on Tuesday.
An award ceremony was held at the venue, Yumeshima, an artificial island, before the expo begins on April 13. The 60,000-square-meter ring-shaped roof has the largest building area on record for a wooden structure, according to Guinness World Records.
"I hope that (the Grand Ring) will give a powerful message at the expo that these diverse worlds can be connected," said Sosuke Fujimoto, the architect who designed the venue.
The roof has a circumference of about 2 kilometers, a height of up to 20 meters and an outer diameter of 675 meters. It encloses pavilions of countries participating in the event, which centers on the philosophy of "unity in diversity."
Meanwhile, the expo's construction costs have reached ¥34.4 billion. The wooden structure was completed in February and delivered to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, which runs the upcoming event.
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