The Belgian pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture is showcasing the Building Biospheres exhibition, the Flemish Architecture Institute (VAi) announced on Wednesday.
The 19th edition of the Biennale Architettura, a major international event for contemporary architecture, opens in Venice on 10 May 2025. It will explore how the natural intelligence of plants can be harnessed to create indoor climates
Since 2004, the VAi has been organising an exhibition at the Belgian pavilion every four years, alternating with the French-speaking Community to coordinate Belgium’s contribution.
This year, the theme 'Plant Intelligence' takes centre stage, featuring Building Biospheres at the Belgian pavilion, launched by the Flemish Government and commissioned by the VAi.
The exhibition presents ongoing research into the potential impact of plant intelligence on architecture, particularly regarding indoor environments.
The team led by landscape architect Bas Smets and Stefano Mancuso, a pioneer in plant neurobiology, has used plants from subtropical regions for this initiative.
These regions, with their warm summers, mild winters, and nearly constant temperatures, closely resemble the ideal climate for humans.
The installation includes over 200 plants, whose behaviour is carefully monitored. Data collected is used to control irrigation, lighting, and ventilation. This creates a new symbiosis between plant needs, building capabilities, and human desires.
"The Venice prototype allows us to test whether plants can actively generate and regulate a building’s indoor climate. It invites us to envision architecture as a microclimate where plants and people coexist," said Bas Smets, who also curates the exhibition.
The Belgian pavilion will serve as a prototype for this innovative research over six months. The exhibition runs from 10 May to 23 November. For more information and tickets, visit biennale.org.
