There’s a rhythm to this place. It doesn’t move for you. You move with it. The crowds are heavy. Over 230,000 people a day. Every walkway, every turn, full of motion and noise. It’s not easy to take in. But somewhere in all that movement, you start to notice the small things that matter.

I spent time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion with Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr. We talked about leadership today and how responsibility is shaped by culture and place. It wasn’t a surface-level exchange. It was the kind of talk that follows you long after you leave.

The Grand Ring holds everything in place. It doesn’t try to dominate the site. It gives everything else room to work.

The USA Pavilion had that same clarity. Clean design. Clear message. It didn’t reach for attention—it just invited you in. I met with Ambassador Bill Grayson there. He’s leading that effort with focus and steadiness.

The Philippines Pavilion carried a quiet strength. Natural materials, open layout, a story you could feel more than read. Maybe that struck me more because of my wife’s roots, or maybe because it was simply done well.

Portugal, Spain, France, Poland, and the UAE all showed up with care. Each pavilion felt different, but what tied them together was intention. These weren’t marketing booths. They were places that asked better questions.

null² by Yoichi Ochiai stood out for entirely different reasons. Light, reflection, distortion, stillness. You didn’t walk through it for answers. You walked through it to notice what surfaced.

And then there was Gundam. A full-scale RX-78-2 planted right in the middle of it all. It could’ve been gimmick, but it wasn’t. It felt earned. A reminder that design can also carry imagination.

I also had the chance to connect with Dag Koppervik at the Nordic Pavilion, and Manuel Salchi from Switzerland. Sharp thinkers with deep commitment. You can see when people believe in the work.

Throughout the grounds, students moved in tight groups. Not distracted. Not bored. They were paying attention. When a place built for ideas draws out that kind of focus from young people, it’s doing something right.

This Expo didn’t need to be loud to make a point. It let the work speak. What stayed with me was the feeling that design, diplomacy, and storytelling can still hold their weight when they’re done with purpose.

Design with meaning.
Diplomacy with direction.
Ideas built to last.