One Month Until Closing: 10 Must-See National Pavilions at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale

"Titled Opera Aperta, the Holy See Pavilion at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale positions architecture as an act of collective care and shared responsibility. Curated by Marina Otero Verzier and Giovanna Zabotti, and designed by Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO and MAIO Architects, the project transforms the 500-square-meter Santa Maria Ausiliatrice Complex in Venice's Castello district into a site for restoration, collaboration, and public engagement."

"Conceived as an open, evolving process rather than a completed work, Opera Aperta invites local associations, artisans, and civic groups to participate in the rehabilitation of the historic complex. The pavilion was awarded the Golden Lion's Special Mention for National Participation for its inclusive, process-oriented approach that redefines architecture as an ongoing dialogue between preservation, community, and context. Estonian Pavilion / Keiti Lige, Elina Liiva, and Helena Männa"

"Titled Let Me Warm You, the Estonian Pavilion is curated by Keiti Lige, Elina Liiva, and Helena Männa. The exhibition investigates the social and spatial implications of Estonia's large-scale insulation-driven renovations, questioning whether they serve merely to meet European energy targets or can also enhance the quality of mass housing districts."

Opera Aperta positions architecture as collective care by converting the 500-square-meter Santa Maria Ausiliatrice Complex into a restoration, collaboration, and public-engagement site. Curated and designed by international teams, the project operates as an open, evolving process that invites local associations, artisans, and civic groups to participate in rehabilitation. The pavilion received a Golden Lion Special Mention for its inclusive, process-oriented approach that links preservation with community responsibility. The Estonian Pavilion, Let Me Warm You, examines insulation-driven renovations and questions whether energy-focused upgrades can also improve social and spatial quality in mass housing, using a wrapped palazzetto façade and interior narratives to probe collective decision-making and lived experience.

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