Venice pavilion renovated
The Venice Biennale’s central pavilion at the Giardini has just been fully renovated ahead of the 61st International Art Exhibition — a refreshed setting for avant‑garde presentations. Nalini Malani will stage an immersive “thought chamber” as a collateral event, promising layered explorations of history, myth and gender. ( )
Construction on the Central Pavilion ran from December 2024 through March 2026 and the overhaul carried a €31 million price tag. (labiennale.org) The intervention was overseen by La Biennale’s Special Projects office under architect Arianna Laurenzi and engineer Cristiano Frizzele, with a temporary association led by BUROMILAN and partners Labics and architect Fabio Fumagalli, MEP work by ia2 Studio, geologist Francesco Aucone, and site supervision by engineer Massimiliano Milan. (labiennale.org) Internally the design clarifies circulation around the Sala Chini as the primary distribution node and consolidates a ring of public-facing functions—bookshop, cafeteria, educational spaces and technical areas—so exhibition rooms operate as flexible white-box galleries. (designboom.com) Two new external structures reinterpret the Venetian altana using carbonized laminated timber and X‑LAM panels, while new skylights combine photovoltaic glazing with diffused glass and operable modules plus motorized shading allow natural ventilation or complete blackout when required. (designboom.com) The work is part of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) under the Ministry of Culture’s “Great Cultural Heritage Attractors” programme and is one of 22 related interventions across Biennale properties funded through the National Plan for Complementary Investments. (labiennale.org) Nalini Malani’s KNMA-commissioned collateral presentation, Of Woman Born, will be installed at Magazzini del Sale n.5 and is scheduled to run from May 9 to November 22, 2026, with pre‑opening days on May 6–8. (knma.org) The site-specific installation is a multichannel Animation Chamber described as nine channels with 67 iPad animations created from tens of thousands of iPad drawings and a layered soundscape that addresses gender, myth and global conflict. (knma.org) (livemint.com) The renovated Central Pavilion will serve as part of the 61st International Art Exhibition program curated by Koyo Kouoh, titled “In Minor Keys,” which opens to the public on May 9, 2026. (theartnewspaper.com)
