The Kingdom of Bahrain Wins Golden Lion at 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia

Amid international acclaim and in the presence of leading architects and senior officials in Venice, Italy, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s pavilion Heatwave was awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. The announcement was made during the exhibition’s award ceremony on the evening of Saturday, 10 May 2025.

His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and Commissioner of the Pavilion, accepted the award alongside members of the participating team: Engineer Noora Al Sayeh, Deputy Commissioner; Andrea Faraguna, Lead for Curation, Design, and Research; and Batool Al Shaikh, Pavilion Coordinator. This marks the Kingdom of Bahrain’s second Golden Lion at the Biennale, the first having been awarded in 2010.

On this occasion, His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed stated: “It is a great honour to receive the Golden Lion on behalf of the Kingdom of Bahrain. We are grateful to La Biennale di Venezia for providing this global platform that enables the exchange of ideas and initiatives with countries around the world.” He added: “The National Pavilion, Heatwave, addresses not only the environmental challenges facing the Kingdom, but also those confronting the world at large. Through this concept, we aimed to shed light on these issues in an innovative manner,” extending his gratitude to the exceptional team for their contributions in designing and presenting the pavilion.

For his part, Andrea Faraguna, Lead for Curation, Design, and Research, stated: “I would like to thank the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, and the Biennale jury for their unwavering support,” expressing his appreciation to the colleagues and contributors who helped develop the concept and realise the pavilion in a way that earned this international recognition.

The Kingdom of Bahrain inaugurated its National Pavilion, Heatwave, at the Arsenale, the main site of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition. Marking its eighth participation in the Biennale, the pavilion sheds light on the Kingdom’s architectural approach to addressing environmental and social challenges, in line with the exhibition’s overarching theme, “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”

The pavilion is curated and designed by architect Andrea Faraguna, who also led the research. Contributors to the accompanying publication include Eman Ali, Abdulla Janahi, Alexander Puzrin, Caitlin Mueller, Eduardo Gascón Alvarez, Jonathan Brearley, Laila Al Shaikh, Latifa Al Khayat, Leslie Norford, Maitham Al Mubarak, Maryam Al Jomairi, Mohammad Salim, Paris Bezanis, Viola Zhang, and Wafa Al Ghatam. The structural design of the pavilion was developed by Alexander Puzrin and Mario Monotti.

The pavilion presents an architectural proposal to the growing challenge of rising global temperatures. Drawing inspiration from traditional Bahraini cooling techniques, it introduces a passive outdoor cooling installation designed to enhance environmental adaptability and support sustainability, particularly in regions facing increasingly intense heatwaves.

The design incorporates a geothermal well and a solar chimney, connecting underground humidity with exterior airflow. Conceived as a modular structure, the installation is adaptable to a variety of urban settings. The pavilion explores the role of passive cooling and shading systems in mitigating heat, and underscores the intersection of climate, architecture, and social equity.

In conjunction with the pavilion, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities is releasing a publication featuring numerical analysis, expert essays, and field surveys, further extending the research impact beyond the physical installation.

For more information on the Kingdom of Bahrain’s participation in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition and the Heatwave pavilion, please visit www.bahrainpavilion.bh or follow @bah.pavilion on social media.