One of the most anticipated gatherings in the world of architecture, the 2025 edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale, is living up to expectations. Titled Intelligens: Natural. Artificial. Collective., it offers a thought-provoking exploration of architecture’s role in addressing contemporary global challenges. Curated by Carlo Ratti, the exhibition runs through the end of November, across various venues in Venice, including the famed Giardini and the sprawling Arsenale. Centered around a multidimensional theme, the Biennale invites visitors to explore the intersection of natural, artificial, and collective intelligence. Architects and designers are urged to consider how these forms of intelligence can inform sustainable and adaptive architectural practices. Curator Ratti emphasizes the necessity for architecture to evolve in response to environmental crises, advocating for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Among the highlights is the Bahrain Pavilion, winner of the Golden Lion for Best National Participation, which addresses climate adaptation through innovative design strategies. The Grace Farms Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit, presents Design for Freedom, spotlighting efforts to eradicate forced and child labor in the building materials supply chain. The UAE Pavilion, curated by Azza Aboualam, focuses on food security, exploring the relationship between architecture and sustainable agriculture. When it comes to innovative materials, architects Boonserm Premthada and Alejandro Aravena stand out for their use of sustainable resources, including bricks made from elephant dung and carbon-negative concrete derived from organic waste.
With the Central Pavilion under renovation, the Biennale transforms Venice into an experimental canvas—a living laboratory where projects are dispersed throughout the labyrinthine city, integrating with its historic fabric and engaging directly with the surrounding environmental context. Although critical reception has not been unanimous—ranging from praise for its ambitious scope to criticism for a lack of coherence in certain exhibits—the event succeeds in provoking essential discourse on the future of architecture amid global challenges. At Invisible Collection, Venice is also a place close to our heart—a source of inspiration, exceptional craftsmanship, and unique projects. In the city’s famed glassmasters’ ateliers, some of the most spectacular hand- and mouth-blown pieces come to life. Just a couple of weeks ago, Campbell-Rey spent time in La Serenissima (as Venetians call their city), overseeing the casting of their exquisite martini tables, inspired by Repossi’s Serti sur Vide jewelry collection. British-born Hamrei also journeyed to the Laguna to collaborate with glassmakers capable of bringing to life his unmistakable Mirra side tables and cast the unique geometric element of his sculptural Chill armchair. As for lighting, some of our favorite pieces were born from Venetian hands: the Capucine sconce by Laura Gonzalez, the fabulous King Sun Murano series by Pierre Gonalons, and the elegant collections of wall lamps and pendants by Veronese.
In addition to preserving the glassblowing tradition, Venice is an architectural jewel—recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its unique urban landscape and iconic palazzi are among the most challenging to restore and, simultaneously, the most rewarding. Just ask Charles Zana, who had the extraordinary privilege of breathing new life into a spectacular 17th-century palazzo on Campo Santo Stefano—once home to a Doge—leading its entire renovation. A lucky few were able to experience it in person; the rest can discover the details in a beautiful book by Rizzoli, a monograph with some of Zana’s most emblematic projects.
