Distinguished guests, colleagues, friends,
Oscar Niemeyer, the brilliant Brazilian architect, once said that his role was to fight for a better world – and I am reminded of this idea here at the Osaka Expo, where the overall theme is Designing Future Society for Our Lives.
The design of our towns and cities, of our public buildings and public spaces, and of course, of our homes, is nearly as important as the air we breathe.
It reflects our culture and identity. It brings communities together. It shapes how we interact with the world around us.
The wellbeing of citizens, for example, is directly linked to their immediate environment: Not only the air they breathe, but the water they drink, their access to green spaces, as well as the beauty and affordability of the built environment around them.
It even determines how we experience extreme heat in a warming world.
So I am delighted to be part of this discussion in this pavilion, which so beautifully embodies the spirit of the New European Bauhaus.
Throughout human history, design has improved our lives in concrete ways.
Aqueducts delivered clean water to cities in Ancient Rome, improving sanitation and public health dramatically.
The windcatcher – a traditional Persian architectural design used to ventilate and cool building – is still used in architecture today.
And the shinkansens aerodynamic design reduces noise and energy use. It is now the global standard for high-speed trains.
It wont move quite so quickly, but for me, the New European Bauhaus occupies the same space and has similar potential.
Launched by Commission President von der Leyen in 2020, it inspires us to imagine and build spaces and systems that reflect our identity, our heritage, and our shared future.
It is the tangible proof that sustainability, aesthetics, resilience and affordability can go hand in hand.
I firmly believe that the sustainable transformation cannot be designed for communities, it must be shaped by them.
So the New European Bauhaus is guided by inclusivity and participation at all levels – from architects and scientists, to artists, local authorities, businesses and citizens.
By the people, for the people, as the old saying goes.
In five years, the initiative has grown into an EU wide movement — a community of almost 2000 members. Over 740 million euros have been devoted to around 700 projects.
In Hungary, for example, a project is transforming a rundown four-story factory building into a sustainable, mixed-use complex owned by its residents – with affordable housing for vulnerable groups and space for cooperatives and locals.
It brings to mind a quote by another brilliant architect, Zaha Hadid: architecture is really about well-being.
Distinguished guests, dear friends,
The New European Bauhaus has incredible potential at home and abroad – and I am excited about the road ahead.
International collaboration is growing, and the vibrant engagement at the Expo here in Osaka is proof of that.
Japan is a country that we look to for inspiration. Your tradition of design speaks deeply to harmony – between people and nature, between simplicity and elegance, between innovation and heritage. The Japanese concepts of wabi-sabi and satoyama reflect values that are strikingly close to the heart of the New European Bauhaus.
We deeply value your expertise in sustainable design and innovation — from the advancement of bio-based materials and energy efficiency to the integration of traditional knowledge with new technologies.
So I am delighted that the EU and Japan have agreed to collaborate on the New European Bauhaus.
I am in especially pleased about plans to set up a New European Bauhaus Academy Hub here in Japan – and I look forward already to the innovation and ideas that it will give birth to.
I am also delighted to announce that Japan will be featured in the international dimension of our next New European Bauhaus Festival, in Brussels in June next year.
By aligning our tools, knowledge and values, we can shape environments that are not only beautiful and sustainable, but also deeply responsive to the needs of our societies.
As we both face the challenges of our time, from the climate crisis to demographic change, this shared mindset is needed more than ever. It must speak to the human experience: to the homes we live in, the cities we move through, the care systems we will rely on as we age.
Together we can pioneer new forms of architecture and urban design that promote dignity, accessibility, and social connection for all generations.
Now, I am eager to hear your design ideas and dreams, and your vision for our future.
Thank you.
