Pavilions: The Latest Architecture and News

Every year, the Naomi Milgrom Foundation commissions an architect to design a temporary pavilion for the Queen Victoria Gardens, in the center of Melbourne's Southbank Arts Precinct. The pavilions are then transferred to the state of Victoria. The tenth edition of the MPavilion was designed by Pritzker Prize Laureate Tadao Ando as his first and only built work in Australia and the southern hemisphere. The pavilion opened on November 16, 2023, and its presence was extended until March 2025, hosting a wide-ranging program of cultural events over two summer seasons. With the cultural program now complete, it may soon face demolition. "Preserve the Pavilion" is a community-led, independent initiative supporting efforts to retain Tadao Ando's MPavilion 10, which is now seeking public support.

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At the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, the Chinese Pavilion presents Coexist, an exhibition curated by Ma Yansong, founder of MAD Architects. The pavilion assembles ten interdisciplinary teams, spanning architects, scholars, students, scientists, and even social media participants, to collectively investigate the potential of architecture to reconcile contradictions between tradition and futurity, artificial and nature, technology and emotion. Rather than presenting a singular vision, Coexist aims to open space for responses to the diverse realities shaping contemporary architecture. While on site in Venice, ArchDaily's editors had the opportunity to discuss the ideas that shaped the Chinese Pavilion with the curator.

At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, the Dicastery for Culture and Education presents "Opera Aperta", a project that positions architecture as a practice of collective care and responsibility. Curated by Marina Otero Verzier and Giovanna Zabotti, Opera Aperta is set within the Santa Maria Ausiliatrice Complex in Venice's Castello district. Designed by Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO and MAIO Architects, the project transforms the 500-square-meter site into a space for collaborative restoration and public engagement. Conceived as a work in progress rather than a finished installation, Opera Aperta functions as a platform for ongoing exchange, participation, and engagement rooted in the local context. This open and process-oriented approach was recognized during the opening events, where the Holy See Pavilion received the Golden Lion's Special Mention for National Participation.

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The 19th edition of one of the world's most renowned architectural events opens to the public this week. The 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, titled Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective. and curated by Carlo Ratti, will run from Saturday, May 10, to Sunday, November 23, 2025. This year's edition stands out for both its scale and its expanded range of venues, partly due to the ongoing renovation of traditional sites such as the Central Pavilion in the Giardini. The event is set to transform Venice into what the curator describes as "a living laboratory."

The inauguration ceremony, to be held on May 10, will also feature the announcement of the official awards by the International Jury, chaired by Hans Ulrich Obrist and composed of Paola Antonelli and Mpho Matsipa. On this occasion, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement will be presented to philosopher Donna Haraway, while the Special Golden Lion in Memoriam will honor the late architect Italo Rota. Alongside the international exhibition, national participations and a broad range of special events will explore the Biennale's invitation, making this one of the most extensive architecture exhibitions in the Biennale's history.

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The Azerbaijan national pavilion, participating in the Venice Architecture Biennale for the first time, presents Equilibrium. Patterns of Azerbaijan. Curated by Nigar Gardashkhanova, the exhibition aligns with the overarching theme of this year's Biennale Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective. Focusing on innovative design responses to the climate crisis, the pavilion emphasizes the principles of Regenerate. Innovate. Preserve. Featuring projects commissioned by Rashad Aslanov, the exhibition showcases contributions from the Azerbaijan Development Company (ADEC), Simmetrico Architettura, and Adalat Mammadov. Organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, with support from the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Italy, the exhibition will run from May 10 to November 23, 2025, at Castello 2127/A, near the Arsenale.

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The Winter Stations annual design competition celebrates its 11th edition in 2025. The competition challenges international artists and designers to reimagine lifeguard stations as captivating, interactive art installations. Designed to harmonize with the environment at Woodbine Beach in Toronto, Canada, these installations encourage immersive engagement with art in a public space, offering a transformative experience. Following its 10th anniversary in 2024, Winter Stations introduced an additional challenge, inviting participants to consider the future of the stations and their evolving relationship with the public and the environment. The theme for the 2025 edition, Dawn, calls on designers to explore how the stations can adapt, grow, and transform in the coming years.

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Iceland presents the Lavaforming at its National Pavilion for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Led by architect Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, founder of s.ap architects, the pavilion is commissioned by Halla Helgadóttir, Iceland Design and Architecture. Lavaforming envisions a provocative and speculative future in which the elemental force of lava is no longer seen solely as a natural hazard but instead embraced as a generative, architectural medium. By harnessing and directing controlled lava flows, the project explores the potential of molten rock to shape urban environments, transforming destruction into construction. Through a series of physical experiments and research-driven installations, Lavaforming demonstrates how this often-feared geological phenomenon could become a renewable and expressive material in the creation of future cities.

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The Republic of Azerbaijan has just revealed its design for it's pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai. Shining a spotlight on the country's culture, history, and forward-thinking approaches, the pavilion aims to promote connection and sustainability. Designed by Bellprat Partner in collaboration with Eleven, the pavilion will offer visitors a journey through Azerbaijan's rich traditions while emphasizing its modern goals for sustainability and international cooperation.

The Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, spanning 60,000 square meters, is envisioned as a village of 12 pavilions, presenting a contemporary take on the city's historic urbanism, architecture, and landscape. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group - BIG, ARTS Group, and Front Inc., the project is part of Suzhou's development around Jinji Lake. It reimagines the classical garden 'lang,' or corridor, framing gardens with outdoor art installations. The pavilions' layout draws inspiration from Suzhou’s garden heritage, guiding visitors through an artistic, natural, and aquatic journey. The museum, which recently celebrated its topping out, is scheduled for completion in 2025.

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Until July 14, 2024, the pavilion ¡Qué faena(r)! ('What a Task!') by Óscar Cruz García and Pablo Paradinas Sastre will be installed at Puerta del Sol in Vigo, one of the two winning temporary pavilions of the third edition of TAC! Urban Architecture Festival. Reflecting on public spaces and the regeneration of urban centers as the main theme of this new edition, the proposal combines tradition and innovation, involving local producers and artisans during the process and simultaneously reusing materials considered waste, such as fishing nets, rusty 'bombos,' recovered wood from bateas, and granite blocks that gain a second life after fulfilling their mission in the sea.