The 19th edition of the Biennale Architettura starts in Venice in early May 2025. On the initiative of the Flemish government and commissioned by the Flanders Architecture Institute, the team of landscape architect Bas Smets and biologist Stefano Mancuso will present the exhibition 'Building Biospheres' in the Belgian pavilion.
Exhibition | 10.05.2025 – 23.11.2025 | Belgian pavilion, Giardini, Venice (IT)
How will architecture evolve with an influence of plant intelligence? With their exhibition concept Building Biospheres, landscape architect Bas Smets, climate scientist and biologist Stefano Mancuso explore a new relationship between nature and architecture. Building Biospheres proposes to think of buildings as artificial microclimates in which plants play a crucial role in purifying air and cooling space. Using the latest insights into plant intelligence, the project aims to make urban environments more liveable and sustainable. The Belgian pavilion at the 2025 Biennale will serve as a laboratory to explore and demonstrate these ideas.
More about the team:
In the second phase of the competition the team was consulted by Veronique Patteeuw, Lisa De Visscher, Erik De Waele, Dirk De Pauw and Kathy Steppe. In collaboration with the Flanders Architecture Institute, the proposal will be further developed in the coming months.
Bureau Bas Smet and Stefano Mancuso are redefining the relationship between architecture and nature. As a visitor to the Belgian pavilion, you will literally be able to feel the effect of climate change.voelen.
Bas Smets has a background in landscape architecture, civil engineering and architecture. He founded his firm in Brussels in 2007 and has since completed more than 50 projects internationally with his team of 25 architects and landscape architects. His realised projects include the Parc des Ateliers in Arles, the park of Thurn & Taxis in Brussels, and the Himara Waterfront in Albania. In 2022 he won the international competition for Les Abords de Notre-Dame in Paris.
He was appointed Professor in Practice at the GSD of Harvard University in 2023. With his design studio he explores new ways to transform the city into an urban ecology, capable of producing cooling microclimates to counter climate change.
Stefano Mancuso is de grondlegger van de plantenneurobiologie en een van 's werelds meest vooraanstaande autoriteiten op dit gebied dat signalering en communicatie op alle niveaus van de biologische organisatie onderzoekt. Hij is professor aan de Universiteit van Florence en heeft meer dan 300 wetenschappelijke artikelen gepubliceerd in internationale tijdschriften. Zijn laatste boeken (vertaald in 27 verschillende talen) zijn Brilliant Green: The Surprising History and Science of Plant Intelligence; The Revolutionary Genius of Plants, a New Understanding of Plant Intelligence and Behavior (Galileo Award); The Nation of Plants; The Incredible journey of plants; Tree stories. Enkele van zijn recente tentoonstellingen zijn: The Florence Experiment (met Carsten Holler) in Palazzo Strozzi (2018, Italië); The Nation of Plants tijdens de XXII Triennale di Milano, La Triennale di Milano (2019; Italië); The Botany of Leonardo (met Fritjiof Capra) in Santa Maria Novella (2019, Italië). Symbiosia (met Thijs Biersteker) bij Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain (2019; Frankrijk), Econtinuum (met Thijs Biersteker) bij NXT Museum (2021, Nederland); Mutual aid bij Architecture Biennale Venezia (2021; Italië); Talking God bij de Thailand Biennale 2022; Prana bij het Museum of Oriental Art (MAO) (2022; Italië).
In response to the open call, more than 40 teams submitted a proposal for an exhibition concept in the Belgian pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia. Three teams were selected to further develop their design. Next to the team of Bureau Bas Smets and Stefano Mancuso the others were:
The jury consists of the following members:
The 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, will take place from 10 May to 23 November 2025.
The Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia appointed Carlo Ratti as Director of the Architecture Department, with the specific task of curating the 19th International Architecture Exhibition.
“We architects like to think we are smart, but real intelligence is everywhere. The disembodied ingenuity of evolution, the growing power of computers, and the collective wisdom of the crowd. To face a burning world, architecture must harness all the intelligence around us. I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to curate the Biennale Architettura 2025.” - Carlo Ratti.
10.05.2025 - 23.11.2025
Belgian pavilion, Giardini, Venetië
Flanders Architecture Institute
Government of Flanders
Reynaers Aluminium
From 10 May to 23 November 2025, the Flanders Architecture Institute and Bureau Bas Smets i.c.w. Stefano Mancuso will present the Building Biospheres project at the 19th Biennale Architettura in Venice.
