Architects across globe urge climate action at Venice Biennale

VENICE, Italy — Visitors confront darkness in a room filled with suspended air conditioners and water pools; the uncomfortable, stuffy and humid environment alerts people to the issues at stake without saying a word. The installation “The Third Paradise Perspective” at the Venice Biennale 2025 calls for collective responsibility and action.

“Architecture has always been a response to climate — an act of shelter, survival and optimism. From the first primitive huts to the submerged foundations of Venice, human design has evolved in dialogue with nature. Today, that evolution is no longer a choice but a necessity: climate change is not a future scenario, but a present reality,” the text introducing the exhibition states

Venice Biennale’s 19th international architecture exhibition kicked off Thursday across Venice with the overarching theme of “Intelligence. Natural. Artificial. Collective,” led by curator Carlo Ratti.

The biennale’s main exhibition at the Arsenale was joined by more than 750 architects, engineers, artists and climate scientists, marking the largest number of participants ever for a main exhibition.

Curating on such a large scale was possible through the curatorial team's open call for participants who share similar concerns, according to the organizer.

The Golden Lion award for the best national participation went to the Kingdom of Bahrain, one of the 66 national pavilions presented at the biennale. The national pavilion offered a viable proposal for extreme heat conditions, using the traditional passive cooling methods typical of the region and reminiscent of wind towers used in hot climates such as the Kingdom of Bahrain.

“Architecture must address the dual challenges of environmental resilience and sustainability. The indigenous solution can be deployed in public spaces and in locations where people must live and work outdoors in conditions of extreme heat,” the designers of the pavilion, led by curator Andrea Faraguna, explained.

The South Korean exhibition "Little Toad Little Toad: Unbuilding Pavilion," curated by the Curating Architecture Collective, took its inspiration from the architecture of the space itself — how it was built, preserving the trees around the space and even their roots. South Korea's pavilion was constructed in the Giardini in 1995 and is the last permanent national pavilion built.

“The balcony tree was here in the corner of the space, designated for preservation during the design of the Korean Pavilion. The archival records of the pavilion show that the architects had to come up with a design to embrace the tree, which has since died and been removed," curator Chung Da-young told the press.

The Spain Pavilion introduced projects by 16 studios that emphasize local, regenerative and low-carbon materials, naming the presentation "Architectures for Territorial Equilibrium."

"Every time we construct a space, we deconstruct another elsewhere. Building and territory are thus intimately connected through a material bond. It is the responsibility of architects to ensure that this bond is a positive one," the text on the wall at the national pavilion reads.

Qatar Museums showcased a two-part exhibition at the Giardini on the site of the future Qatar Pavilion and the ACP-Palazzo Franchetti located near the Accademia Bridge, exploring the architecture of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia from the mid-20th century to today.

“As we continue to shape a cultural landscape of dialogue and exchange, this exhibition serves as a testament to Qatar’s role in fostering a deeper understanding of our diverse architectural heritage,” said Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who serves as chair of Qatar Museums and is the daughter of Qatar’s former ruling emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Along with the main exhibition and national pavilions, various exhibitions coincide with the biennale, bringing together renowned architects from around the world.

The exhibition “For All That Breathes on Earth: Jung Youngsun and Collaborators” at the SMAC San Marco Art Center marked one of the inaugural shows at the newly opened arts center at the heart of the Piazza San Marco.

The exhibition centers on the projects by Jung Young-sun, a first-generation contemporary landscape architect and the first woman licensed as a land development engineer in Korea. It shows how the 84-year-old landscape architect advocated for resilience and sustainability in landscape design in collaboration with architects, biologists and urban planners.

“A lot of designers and landscape architects, they are trying to show their design a lot, but Jung’s design is somehow quiet and natural,” said Pritzker Prize-winning British architect David Chipperfield, who appeared at the exhibition and collaborated with Jung in the Amorepacific Headquarters project in Seoul. The British architect restored the Procuratie, three connected buildings along the perimeter of the plaza, which now leases the space to the SMAC, and comprises 16 galleries.

The design of another Pritzker laureate, French architect Jean Nouvel, for the new Foundation Cartier was also unveiled in Venice. It is expected to open in fall 2025.