No_8_August_1968 — Page 23

OSAKA

COMPANY PAVILIONS AT EXPO '70

The organisers of Expo '70, the world exposition to be staged in Osaka in 1970, have not so far had an encouraging response from prospective overseas par- ticipants. However in Japan itself, en- thusiasm for the project is mounting and private companies are pushing ahead with plans for their pavilions.

The variety of fertile ideas which these pavilions will express is illustrated here. Each pavilion IS designed within the framework of the exhibition's overall theme: "Progress and Harmony for Mankind".

Fuji Group

HUGE inflated air beams like giant inner tubes will be used to construct the overhead structure of the Fuji Group pavilion. There will be 24 air beams, each more than 12 ft. in dia- meter and 110 yd. long. They will serve as wall, ceiling and roof.

Costing about US$5.5 million, the pavilion is designed by Yutaka Murata and will be built by Taisei Construction Co. Ltd. As high as a 12-storey building, it will withstand wind speeds of up to 130 m.p.h. When construction work is finished the open ends of the pavilion will be closed and the building air-conditioned. Visitors to the pavilion will walk a ramp bridge and a gently

over

Double-deck elevator-

Simulation hall

Cockpit-

·Simulator machine room

sloping spiral rampway will lead them around the outer edge of the circular pavilion area, overlooking the ground floor. More ramps and escalators will take them down to ground level and the exhibition area of almost 13,000 sq. ft.

A main feature of the pavilion will be three mammoth curved projection screens around the seating area. Films and slides projected simultane- ously on the three screens will give

Sky lobby

Simulation hall

Cockpit

-Laser TV hall

-Escalator

Waiting hall

visitors a clear view from any seat.

The centre of the pavilion area will be dominated by a disc symbolising the space age and the pavilion theme: "A message to the 21st century". The circular pavilion will be sur- rounded by water and will appear to float.

Hitachi

A US$5.5 million pavilion planned by the Hitachi Group will feature travel simulation under the theme of "Search: Invitation to the Unknown.”

A futuristic escalator will take visi- tors to the top of the saucer-shaped pavilion where they will enter a sky lounge and go aboard a giant double- decker elevator which will carry up to 260 passengers at a time through the cylindrical core of the pavilion.

The elevator will take the visitors to an amphitheater below where they will board individual spacecraft with bucket seats for 16 crews of eight visitors. Each of the 16 circular craft is, in fact, a computer-controlled flight simulator, complete with instrument panels and controls. Film projection monitored by a Hitachi computer will "take" the passengers to a destination of their choice.

Visitors are then conveyed to the lower floor where they will look be- hind the scene to see the computer and other Hitachi equipment which made their trip possible. Before leaving, they will visit a television hall to see laser beam colour television.

The pavilion will occupy a 5,000 sq. m. site and will be 22 m. high with a diameter of 46m. It was plan- ned by the Hitachi Committee for Expo '70, led by Katsuo Takahashi of Tokyo Chuo Productions.

Far East BUILDER, August 1968.

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