The project was developed by a temporary professional association: the architectural firm Labics and architect Fabio Fumagalli for the architectural design; BUROMILAN - Milan Ingegneria S.p.A. (the lead company) and ia2 Studio Associato for the electromechanical and fire prevention systems engineering; and geologist Francesco Aucone. Construction supervision was entrusted to engineer Massimiliano Milan. The project was overseen by the offices of La Biennale di Venezia through its Special Projects department, headed by architect Arianna Laurenzi, and by engineer Cristiano Frizzele, Head of Technical and Logistical Services.
The Central Pavilion, originally called Palazzo Pro Arte, was built between 1894 and 1895 to house the first International Art Exhibition. It was designed by Enrico Trevisanato with a façade by Marius De Maria. Throughout the 20th century, it underwent several transformations, becoming the Italian Pavilion in 1932, with numerous proposals—some unrealized—from prominent architects.
Although initially conceived as a unified international space, it maintained a central role in the Biennale despite the growth of national pavilions. In 1999, under Harald Szeemann, it was redefined as the venue for a curated international exhibition, separate from the national representations. Its renaming as the Central Pavilion solidified this role. The complex occupies approximately 51,000 m², of which 5,450 m² comprise the pavilion itself.
The intervention is part of the "Project for the development and enhancement of the activities of the Venice Biennale to create a permanent center of national and international excellence," and has been made possible thanks to public funding from the Italian Government, within the framework of the National Plan for Complementary Investments (PNC) of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) of the Ministry of Culture.
Bookshop Central Pavilion renovated. Photograph by Marco Cappelletti / Marco Cappelletti Studio, Courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia / MiC.
Project description by La Biennale di Venezia
Rewriting the architectural organism
The project addressed a deeply stratified building marked by a series of successive interventions, restoring it to order, hierarchy and spatial clarity. The renovation of the Pavilion goes beyond a mere functional update: it rewrites the entire architectural organism, redefining relationships, sequences and connections.
The exhibition spaces were reorganised in a clear and legible manner: the central core of the building is accessible through Sala Chini, which becomes the main distribution node. Around it unfurls a ring of service spaces for the public – bookshop, café, educational room and technical spaces – designed to be distinct from the exhibition spaces.
The exhibition spaces are neutral and flexible, veritable white boxes that can accommodate temporary installations. All the technical systems are integrated within the building envelope and hidden behind the new walls, leaving the spaces completely free. Of the historical elements that distinguish the Pavilion, special attention was dedicated to the project to refurbish the window fixtures designed by Carlo Scarpa, which have been restored and reinstalled. In addition, Sala Brenno del Giudice was redesigned based on the spatial forms of the 1928 project for the café, while the openings onto the terrace along the Canal have been reinstated.
Re-invention, not restoration
The intervention goes beyond the logic of preservation-restoration to aim at a critical re-invention of the Pavilion. Relying on a stratigraphic approach to the building’s history, the project enhanced the serial and essential nature of the architecture, preserving the memory of the different phases of construction but stripping it of all accretions and incongruous elements. The project demonstrates how re-use can be a creative act, not a nostalgic one: it selects, orders and interprets the different phases in the history of the Pavilion to build a new architectural unity that can fulfil the contemporary needs of La Biennale.
The altane: an airy gesture that dialogues with Venice
One of the most recognizable interventions is the construction of two new outdoor structures, inspired by Venetian roof terraces, called altane, and built in correspondence with the café and the multipurpose space. These slender structures introduce an element of openness that connect the Pavilion to the landscape of the Giardini, without competing with the existing masonry mass. Built of charred laminated wood and X-LAM panels, the altane represent a conscious design gesture that sets up a dialogue with Venice and with Carlo Scarpa’s design sensibility.
The total integration between architecture, structure and MEP systems
The new architecture of the Pavilion is conceived as a unitary system in which structure, natural light, photovoltaic systems, ventilation and shading become a single organism. All the technical systems are completely concealed behind walls and roofing, freeing the spaces of any obstructions. The new skylights, made with photovoltaic glass and diffusing glass, guarantee uniform natural lighting and contribute to producing energy. Several operable modules guarantee ventilation, while motorised shades allow for complete blackout. The space remains bare, essential, flexible and efficient, where architectural quality prevails and sustainability is integrated into every element.
Improved energy efficiency
The renovation project for the Central Pavilion set the goal to obtain the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, one of the primary international voluntary certification systems. The LEED protocol evaluates a building’s performance based on criteria of integrated sustainability: energy and water efficiency, reduction of CO2 emissions, improved environmental quality of the indoor spaces, responsible use of materials and resources, and design decisions that consider the site and context. All these strategies were applied to the Pavilion to guarantee the efficiency, sustainability and architectural quality of the exhibition spaces.
