Cartier unveils its Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2025 Japan, running from April 13th to October 13th, 2025, on the island of Yumeshima. Designed by Japanese architect Yuko Nagayama and British artist Es Devlin, the pavilion is dedicated to exploring women’s transformative impact on the world. Inspired by the phrase “When women thrive, humanity thrives,” the architecture features a white lattice façade filtering sunlight and wind, echoing Nagayama’s earlier work for Expo 2020 Dubai.
Inside, the experience unfolds as a sensory journey blending mirrored corridors, cloud-lit skylights, and poetic audio guides. Devlin’s immersive design centers on three women whose childhood memories mark the beginning of their life paths: Sudanese poet and activist Emmi Mahmoud, Japanese novelist Banana Yoshimoto, and Mexican climate activist Xiye Bastida. Their stories, presented through film by Naomi Kawase, invite visitors to connect deeply with moments of fear, resilience, and awakening.
Each woman’s narrative is brought to life through personalized spaces—glowing red corridors, mirrored reflections, and rain-soaked imagery. “We wanted to begin with specific memories,” says Devlin, “to help people feel, not just observe.” The pavilion balances intimacy and scale, culminating in a reflective sanctuary and a data room highlighting global gender disparities.
A rooftop garden and the WA Space host discussions, workshops, and events focused on gender equality and collective futures. As one of the few non-national pavilions at the Expo, the Women’s Pavilion makes a powerful statement: this is a space for all women, everywhere.
Uncover Es Devlin’s thoughts on the power of daily practice, her architectural vision, and her creative fusion of art, architecture, and technology in our interview.
Photography by VICTOR PICON, courtesy of CARTIER