© Yosuke Ohtake

At the Osaka World Expo, currently on view and open until mid-October, an innovative Belgian product has been used to coat a good part of the interior and exterior spaces. Developed and marketed by Beal International, MORTEX® is a mineral coating that has been chosen as the finish for rest area number 4, a 900 m² outdoor public space where visitors seeking peace and quiet can relax in a pleasant, undulating landscape where a gentle shade is provided by metal pergolas.

The Japanese company in charge of completing the project, Kadowaki Construction, was looking for an at once functional and appealing material: crack-resistant, color-fast, and able to blend in perfectly with the natural environment. Mortex met all these criteria. The warm and earthy tones of the finish selected allows this artificial surface to become part of the surrounding ground, and its aesthetic is furthermore in perfect tune with Japanese sensibilities due to its simplicity and harmony.