Architect Samantha Lamisa

Venice, a city of lakes and waterways, art and dialogue, is home to the annual Venice Biennale, which sometimes features an art exhibition and sometimes celebrates architecture.

What is a Biennale?

A “Biennale” (Italian for “every two years”) is an international cultural exhibition held every two years. The term was first used for the Venice International Art Exhibition, which was held in 1895. It is organized under the auspices of the “La Biennale di Venezia” organization.

One of the oldest and most popular biennales is the “Venice Biennale”, which organizes international exhibitions in various disciplines, including architecture, such as film, visual arts, theater, music, etc. Almost a century after the first art biennale, the Venice Architecture Biennale was organized in 1975. This year, the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale is being held, and will be open to the public from May 10, 2025 to November 23, 2025.

19th Venice Architecture Biennale Exhibition

One of the venues of 19th Venice Architecture Biennale

Physical model of one of the venues of 19th Venice Architecture Biennale

Organogram

The organizational structure (Organogram) of the Venice Architecture Biennale is organized neatly. This structure is headed by a President, who is appointed by the Italian Ministry of Culture. He oversees the direction, policies and management of the entire organization. Under his leadership, a Board of Directors is formed, which approves the annual budget, the appointment of curators, the awarding of prizes and important strategic decisions. A curator or artistic director is appointed for each edition, who sets the main theme of the exhibition, selects the participants. The curator of 2025 is Carlo Ratti.

Separate teams are formed for different categories such as architecture, art, theater, cinema, music, etc. There is a team to assist the curator, which includes researchers, curatorial assistants, producers and exhibition coordinators.Each Biennale has a jury that reviews the projects of the participants and awards them with the ‘Golden Lion’ award and other prizes.

Curator of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, Carlo Ratti

Each country organizes its own pavilion, for which it appoints its own curator and team. These are autonomous, but relate to the main theme of the exhibition.

19th Biennale (Circularity Handbook Installation)

19th Biennale (Elephant Chapel Boonserm Premthada)

19th Biennale (The Other side of the Hill)

Venue:

The Venice Architecture Biennale is held in historic locations in the city of Venice. The main venues for the exhibition are the Giardini della Biennale and the Arsenale. The Biennale also takes place in various locations throughout the city and in a historic park called Forte Merghera, 11 km from the city centre. Founded in the 19th century, the Giardini della Biennale is the main centre of the Venice Biennale. It houses several permanent pavilions, where different countries present their own exhibitions.

Arsenale: This is an ancient shipyard, which was used to build ships during the Venetian Republic. It is now used as a large exhibition space, where many international projects are presented, including the main thematic exhibitions. One of the most notable parts of the Arsenale is the Corderie, where ship ropes were once made. It is now a major exhibition space.

19th Venice Architecture Biennale Exhibition

19th Venice Architecture Biennale Exhibition

19th Venice Architecture Biennale Exhibition

History:

Although the ‘Venice Architecture Biennale’ is considered one of the most prestigious stages in architecture worldwide, its history is relatively unknown. In 2009, architectural historians Aaron Levy and William Menking jointly undertook to write a contemporary history of the Biennale, based on open dialogues with previous directors. Based on these dialogues, a publication entitled “Architecture on Display: On the History of the Venice Biennale of Architecture” was produced under the auspices of the Architectural Association, London.

Venice Architecture Biennale Poster of 1975

The first architecture exhibition was initiated in 1975, under the presidency of Carlo Ripa di Miana, a prominent Italian politician and then Minister of the Environment. The title was "Proposte per il molino stucky" (A proposal for Molino Stucky), curated by the Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti, an architect by profession and editor of an architectural magazine. Although it was the work of a contemporary art specialist, he was invited to be the curator of the Biennale and he agreed only on one condition – to have a small-scale architecture exhibition at the Biennale. The Biennale had never had an architecture section before. Work began in 1974, the exhibition opened in 1975, and the truly important exhibitions came in the following years.

Later, in 1980, during the four-year presidency of Giuseppe Galasso (1979–1982), a leading Italian historian and politician, the Venice Biennale's architecture section was established, with the Italian architect Paolo Portogesi appointed as director.

Venice Architecture Biennale Poster of 1980

The history of the “Corderie di Arsenale” in Venice dates back to the 14th century. In 1303, the Corderie was strategically located on the south side of the Arsenale, a major shipbuilding center. Later, between 1579 and 1585, it was rebuilt to the designs of Antonio da Ponte. A space measuring about 70 meters long and 20 meters wide, it was opened to the public for the first time during the Biennale. The main attraction of the exhibition was a long wall made up of twenty facades, which were the expression of the meticulous thinking of twenty renowned architects of the time.

Venice Architecture Biennale Poster of (1982-1983)

After the resounding success of the first exhibition, the second Biennale of 1982-83 took a historic turn. This year, Portogesi set the theme, ‘ARCHITETTURA NEI PAESI ISLAMICI’ (Architecture in Islamic Countries). He sought to highlight the diversity, spirituality and environmental perspective of architecture across a vast region from India to Morocco. At the same time, it is believed that he sought to establish a connection between the West and the East. In the introduction to the exhibition catalogue, Portogesi explains that since the late nineteenth century, the influence of Islamic culture on Western literature, painting and architecture has been growing, which is also reflected in the work of figures such as Gaudí, Wright and Le Corbusier. The environmental perspective, spiritual elements and socio-centric objectives are emphasized in Islamic architecture.

Source: with Paolo Portoghesi, Domus 652, July 1984

The second Biennale presented projects that were under construction or had already been implemented, which combined local traditions with contemporary construction techniques. particular importance was ON the works of Hassan Fathi, one of the young architects of Egypt at that time. At the same time, proposals were presented for the restoration and reuse of traditional residential buildings. In addition, some solo exhibitions presented the work of those who worked on Islamic architecture, such as Fernand Pouillon and Louis Kahn. These included their drawings and plans for cities in India and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), as well as Le Corbusier's two projects for the cities of Algiers and Chandigarh.

Venice Architecture Biennale: 1980–2025

Bangladesh participated in the 2nd (1982-1983) and 16th (2018) Venice Architecture Biennale. Various projects of Bangladeshi participants are being exhibited in this year's Biennale (19th).

Bangladesh

It is worth mentioning that this exhibition provides a significant analysis of the work of Mazharul Islam of Bangladesh. At the same time, a statement by Muzharul Islam on the “Architecture of Islamic Countries” in the context of Bangladesh is available. It can be said that this is the first time that the Venice Architecture Biennale has established contact with Bangladesh. Later, Bangladesh’s presence at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018 after a long absence opened the door to a new possibility. The title of the 16th International Architecture Exhibition was ‘FREESPACE’. The exhibition was curated by Irish architects Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, and was chaired by Paolo Baratta.

The exhibition, which focused on the concept of “freespace” as one of the key elements of architecture, focused on humanity, generosity and spatial experience. Through this theme, architects presented a different perspective on the process of creating architecture, which emphasizes local context, heritage, and social connections. The exhibition featured 71 participants, who presented projects consistent with the main theme.

At the 2018 Biennale, internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum presented an exhibition titled “Wisdom of the Land” at the Arsenale in Venice. In this exhibition, she explores the relationship between Bangladesh’s natural context and traditional settlement systems – in particular, the architectural and aesthetic significance of the “Uthon”, a primitive social structure of Bengal.

How architecture is not just a structure but a complete social process, where locality, tradition, natural elements and social interaction are given importance. She examines the techniques of place-making, rituals and the flow of everyday life. Her sensitive observation-based approach, while different from harsh modernism, also conveys the message that “architecture is not just a fixed solution, but a process and respectful dialogue that points the way to the future.”

Bangladeshi Architect Marina Tabassum's 'Wisdom of the Land' Exhibition at Venice Architecture Biennale, 2018

Bangladesh's participation in 19th Venice Architecture Biennale (Born in a Camp)

Bangladesh's participation in 19th Venice Architecture Biennale (A Polymathic Journey of Regeneration and Reuse)

Bangladesh's participation in 19th Venice Architecture Biennale(Khudi Bari)

The 19th Venice Architecture Biennale is a historic moment for Bangladesh. In 2025, Bangladeshi architects are present at this international architecture stage for the third time. Reviewing the past experiences of the Venice Architecture Biennale, this time’s presence is not just an architectural exhibition, but also a unique opportunity to highlight the expression of local ideas, political-cultural contexts and the uniqueness of placemaking. Under the leadership of President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and Artistic Director, Architect Carlo Ratti, the theme of this year’s exhibition was decided under the title “INTELLIGENS. NATURAL. ARTIFICIAL. COLLECTIVE”.

In line with the main theme, Bangladesh is represented by the exhibition titled “Born in a Camp” jointly organized by Bangladeshi architect Rizvi Hassan, architect Khwaja Nuzhat Jerin Fatmi and Alice Cochrane from Zimbabwe. In August 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar fled the harsh conditions of genocide and human rights abuses and sought refuge in Bangladesh. The ‘Born in a camp’ project serves as a symbol of the community’s identity and resistance. At the same time, it sends a message to the world that refugees can also rebuild themselves powerfully.

In addition, a project by ‘Bhitti Architects’, ‘A Polymathic Journey of Regeneration and Reuse’, was presented at the 19th Biennale. Architect Marina Tabassum’s ‘Khudi Bari’ was also exhibited at this year’s Biennale.