According to contemporary architects Barnes and Jackson in a paper they wrote on the concept, it was an attempt 'to appeal to purported Japanese interest in mastery over nature while showing what Australia could do with its natural resources.' It was also intended to correct Japanese perceptions of Australians as coarse, uncultured and under-industrialized.
In keeping with the historic 1967 moon landing and subsequent space explorations, the U.S. pavilion had a space age theme. The interior was inflated like a balloon, and made of fabric and cables. Artifacts such as the Apollo 11 space capsule were displayed to demonstrate NASA’s achievements, and the centerpiece was a large piece of moon rock brought back by astronauts from Apollo 12 in 1969.
Japan’s architectural designs, including its own pavilion and those of its companies and organizations, were bold and futuristic.
The central unifying structure of Expo 70 was the Festival Plaza, where musical performances and electronic presentations were held. From the enigmatic Tower of the Sun, visitors could join pedestrian walkways, 'people movers,' and the monorail that traveled out toward the north, south, east and west gates.