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"Expo Wood Reborn as 3D-Printed Chairs on Campus"

January 22, 2026 Applications 10587

When Expo Wood is "Reborn": 3D-Printed Chairs Find a New Home on Campus

The wooden furniture and interiors from the Luxembourg Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which once accommodated visitors for rest and viewing, were not discarded after the event. Recently, Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) has accomplished an ingenious act of "resource circulation": recycling and repurposing this wood through advanced 3D printing technology to create a batch of symbolic chairs, which were formally donated to Sophia University.

Themed "Doki Doki (Heartbeat)," the Luxembourg Pavilion's core vision was to communicate the concept of a circular society. The pavilion extensively used recyclable natural materials and pre-planned a "second life" for these resources post-exhibition. DNP, the contractor responsible for the pavilion's construction, extended this philosophy. They processed the discarded wood by crushing it and transforming it into a special granular material, which served as the "ink" for 3D printing.

Utilizing 3D printing technology, these granules were precisely deposited layer by layer, transforming into brand-new chairs. This technology not only achieved a near-zero-waste reshaping of the material but also easily facilitated complex designs—each chair center is embedded with Sophia University's eagle emblem, creating a unique symbol that bridges sustainable concepts with academic spirit.

This donation stems from the profound collaborative relationship among Sophia University, Luxembourg's diplomatic and trade offices in China, and DNP. It is not merely an eco-friendly product but a vivid testament to how international cooperation and innovative technology jointly advance sustainable development. These chairs carry a journey of circulation from the Expo to the campus, serving as a tangible manifesto on future responsibility.