Inspired by the traditional Chinese oil paper umbrella, the installation uses Xuan paper as its main material. The paper is coated multiple times with tung oil to make it both translucent and water-resistant. The structure gives new form and scale to this ancient craft, transforming it into an outdoor space that offers shade from the sun and shelte...
Project name
Chinese Paper Umbrella
Architecture firm
MAD Architects
Location
Arsenale – Magazzino Delle Cisterne, Castello 2169/F, 30122 Venice, Italy
Principal architect
Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Design team
Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano, Jiang Yunyao, Zhou Rui, Yang Xuebing, He Linxi, Huang Juntao, Pan Siyi, Valentina Olivieri
Collaborators
Fabrication: Far East Facade
Completion year
May 10 – November 23, 2025
Structural engineer
RFR Shanghai
Typology
Installation › Cultural Architecture
The installation, on view at the Arsenale Corderie, showcases IE School of Architecture and Design’s professor Wesam Al Asali’s work on natural materials, craftsmanship, and digital design tools.
Project name
Alternative Skies
Architecture firm
Wesam Al Asali
Location
L'Arsenale, Venice, Italy
Photography
Luis Díaz Díaz
Principal architect
Wesam Al Asali
Design team
Wesam Al Asali, Sigrid Adriaenssens, Romina Canna, Robin Oval
Collaborators
IWLab: Marah Sharabati, Joelle Deeb, Sadek Jooriah. d-Lab (IE School of Architecture and Design): Marta Garcia Salamanca, Malena Gronda Garrigues, Michaela Zavacká, Alaa Belal, Hayk Areg Khachikyan. Supported By: Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, IE School of Architecture and Design, Research Office IE University, IE Foundation. Technical Collaborators: Salvador Gomis Aviñó (CERCAA), Angel Maria Martín López (La Escuela de Carpintería de lo Blanco de Narros del Castillo), Carlos Fontales Ortíz, ETSAMadera. Aknowledgments To: Alejandro García Hermida, Kinda Ghannoum, Alessandro Dell'Endice, IE University Fab Lab, Maintenance Team IE University
Structural engineer
Robin Oval
Supervision
Wesam Al Asali
Tools used
Grasshopper, Twinbuild (Augmented Reality)
Material
Brick, wood, willow
Client
Venice Architecture Biennale 2025
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Written by
Liliana Alvarez
At the highest point of the city, a bird lands after a long flight; among hills and rocks, it seeks to observe the great metropolis in awe. A pavilion that invites contemplation and discovery from within, framing unique views and spaces that can only be appreciated from great heights.
Project name
Horizon Pavilion
Architecture firm
Eletres Studio + UCSG Architecture Program
Location
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Photography
Emily Chérrez, Eletres Studio, Marco Pocomucha
Collaborators
Installation team: Domenica Arteaga, Stella de Vries. Drawing and illustration credits: Luis Albino Reyes, Danerix Cardenas
Completion year
December 2024
Typology
Pavilion, Installation
After most people left the island for city life, less than 100 elderly residents remain on Chaishan Island. To revitalize the island, Zhoushan Government has initiated the "Hello, Island" co-prosperity project.
Project name
Seaside Pavilion on Chai Shan Island, Zhoushan
Architecture firm
GN Architects
Location
Chai Shan Island, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
Photography
Liang Wenjun, Tian Fangfang, Zhang Yong, Jiang Meng
Principal architect
Shen Lijiang
Design team
Shen Lijiang, Liu Tong, Cui Hengxuan, Ding Hao, Zheng Zhen
Completion year
August 2024
Tools used
Rhino 3D,cGrasshopper, AutoCAD,cRevit,cANSYS/STAAD.Pro,V Ray,cLumion,cAdobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Enscape, Microsoft Teams / Trimble Connect
Construction
Baoding Shenjiang Sculpture Art Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Material
Corrosion-Resistant Steel,Recycled Timber,Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer,Stainless Steel Counterweights, Marine-Grade Concrete,Titanium Alloy Anchors, ETFE Membra ne Canopies,Anti-Slip Ceramic Tiles,Solar-Integrated LED Lighting,Bio-Based Sealants
Client
Baisha Island Management Committee, Putuo District, Zhoushan City
Typology
Art Installation
Amelia Tavella’s debut furniture meanders elegantly like ‘an almost living animal’. The Corsican architect's sculptural ‘A5951’ desk-bench hybrid in solid oak winds sinuously as an organic root, chasing ‘an infinite desire for poetry and beauty.’
Project name
Amelia Tavella’s Hybrid Sculpture
Architecture firm
Amelia Tavella
Typology
Exhibition & Reception Place / Mobilier Design
Flying Boats is a cultural installation that weaves together art and architecture to reinterpret the traditions and symbols of China’s rural villages. This work is part of ‘Art at Qiaoshan - Art Field Nanhai’, a cultural programme organised by the Nanhai district in Foshan, Guangdong Province, which covers eight traditional villages.
Project name
Art at Qiaoshan - Art Field Nanhai, China
Architecture firm
Sordo Madaleno + WUA Studio
Location
Nanhai District, Foshan City, China
Principal architect
Fernando Sordo Madaleno, Shawn Shaobo Wu
Design team
Tamara Muñoz, Jaime Sol
Collaborators
CURATORSHIP: Hubart
Construction
Second level: Yilian Beijing Culture and Exhibition. Ground floor and first level: Foshan Ruisiao Space Design
Client
People’s Government of Nanhai District, Foshan City
Typology
Cultural Architecture > Cultural Installation
SpaceInvader has led a local Manchester creative team on a scheme to redesign the city’s Piccadilly Gardens Pavilion for client L&G Asset Management, evolving the original 2002 structure, installed as part of the city’s preparations for hosting of The Commonwealth Games, following local issues and feedback.
Project name
Piccadilly Gardens Pavilion
Architecture firm
SpaceInvader
Collaborators
‘Weave’ Installation: SpaceInvader, Artin, Lazerian; Project Manager: Colliers
Completion year
April 2022
Structural engineer
Stantec (formerly Hydrock)
Construction
Havercroft Construction Ltd
Client
L&G Asset Management
Typology
Installation › Urban Installation, Restaurant
