The World's Largest Wooden Structure: Masterpiece or Strategic Mistake?

Expo 2025 Osaka and the Grand Ring by Sou Fujimoto: what it teaches us about legacy, sustainability, and real return on investment.

In Osaka, Japan, something extraordinary is taking shape: a 2-kilometer-long wooden ring suspended over 161 national pavilions. It’s called the Grand Ring, and it’s already earned the Guinness World Record as the largest wooden architectural structure ever built.

Designed by architect Sou Fujimoto, this monumental structure will be the centerpiece of Expo 2025.

It’s spectacular. Ambitious. Iconic.

But we have to ask the real question: Will it matter after the Expo ends? Or will it become another “cathedral in the desert”?

1. The awe of architecture is not enough

The Grand Ring combines traditional Japanese techniques (like nuki joints) with modern engineering. It uses mostly local cedar and cypress, and forms a continuous elevated pathway that symbolically (and literally) connects cultures around the world.

It’s beautiful. It’s monumental. It’s also incredibly resource-intensive.

Thousands of tons of timber, logistics across borders, years of planning.

And still—no one really knows what will happen to it once the world leaves Osaka.

2. Sustainability without a long-term plan is just a PR stunt

Let’s be clear: Wood is an outstanding material. Renewable, carbon-absorbing, local. But only if managed properly.

Without a circular life plan, even wood becomes waste.

A sustainable project is not one that simply uses sustainable materials. A sustainable project is one that creates lasting value—environmental, economic, and social.

3. The myth of the perfect green material

Too many headlines celebrate wood as “the green solution.” But we need to go deeper:

• What happens to the material after 2030?

• Who maintains it? Who pays?

• Can it be dismantled, recycled, repurposed—or does it simply rot?

The answers to these questions define real sustainability.

4. From architecture to business: lessons for every manager

The Grand Ring is not just an architectural marvel. It’s a perfect metaphor for many business decisions today:

• Big investment.

• Powerful visual impact.

• Short-term visibility.

• Long-term uncertainty.

How many companies launch ambitious projects with no clear ROI beyond the marketing phase? How many sustainable initiatives are built on sand?

5. A good project must survive its launch

This is the core idea. Whether you build cities, factories, products, or distribution channels—you must plan for what happens after the ribbon-cutting.

Ask yourself:

• Will it generate recurring value?

• Will it adapt to future needs?

• Can it become something else once its first purpose is served?

If not, it’s not sustainable. It’s expensive architecture.

8. Final Thought

We celebrate wood. We celebrate architectural genius. But more than anything, we should celebrate projects that stand the test of time—economically, socially, and strategically.

The Grand Ring is a powerful symbol.

But let’s make sure it’s not just a symbol. Let’s make sure it becomes a model.

👉 What do you think?

Do you know other projects like this—beautiful, visionary, but strategically flawed?

Share them with me. I’m building a collection of real lessons from around the world.