Paints the Future with the Netherlands Pavilion at 2025 World Expo

Akzo Nobel is proud to be a part of the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan  as the official painting partner. This partnership highlights our commitment to sustainability and  dedication to supporting the theme of “Common Ground: creating a new dawn together.”  

The theme is brought to life through the Pavilion’s circular design, symbolizing the sun rising on a future of unlimited clean energy.  Our involvement in this ambitious project reflects our  leading expertise in green building solutions and urban transitions.

“We are proud to be involved in this incredible initiative trying to paint the future for the global citizens,” said Kaj van Alem, President of AkzoNobel Japan and Global Director for  Wood Coatings business. “The Netherlands pavilion is a living example of our sustainability-driven innovative solutions that are helping to create dynamic space for people to live and work in.”  

Superior coating solutions for excellence

Our Japan team has worked closely with leading architects and developers to provide a range of innovative coating solutions that contribute to the Pavilion’s design and environmental performance. More than 400 square meters of surfaces are wearing AkzoNobel’s paints and coatings solutions, designed to ensure durability, aesthetics, and sustainability. Key AkzoNobel applications include:

• Dulux paint solution, with GREENGUARD Gold Certification, is applied on the pavilion’s interior walls. It is not only to optimize color and texture for clear and vivid projections in the event space, but also to enhance indoor air quality with low VOC emissions.

Supporting the circular design

The Netherlands Pavilion’s circular design concept is reinforced by AkzoNobel’s coating technologies,  in the areas of

• Reducing environmental impact through low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and high solids formulations, creating a safe and healthy environment for Pavilion visitors.
• Extending the lifecycle of construction materials by enhancing durability and reducing the need for maintenance or replacement.
• Supporting sustainability standards with products designed to comply with global and local environmental regulations.
   

“Collaborating with AkzoNobel has been an inspiring journey rooted in our shared values of sustainability.”  adds Thomas Rau, the architect of the Dutch Pavilion and founder at RAU. “We partner with AkzoNobel to seek real life examples supporting our ambition in circularity, ensuring durability, aesthetic harmony, and minimizing ecological impact—critical to symbolizing a future powered by clean energy. AkzoNobel’s solutions were pivotal in transforming our architectural concept into a tangible symbol of a sustainable future.”

The Expo takes place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, in Osaka, marking Japan’s third World Expo. Under the theme of "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," the event is expected to attract more than 28 million visitors. AkzoNobel’s participation in the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka continues its longstanding support of World Expos.