The Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates has outlined its plans for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale. Curated by Azza Aboualam, architect and Assistant Professor at Zayed University’s College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, it has the title Pressure Cooker.
The exhibition will investigate the evolving relationship between architecture and food production in the UAE and propose innovative solutions for more sustainable food production at both individual and communal levels through architectural solutions specifically designed for arid environments.
Aboualam (right) said her curatorial approach is rooted in contemporary research, “linking the UAE’s unique cultural and architectural identity to pressing global challenges, offering grounded, technical, and imaginative perspectives on food systems and sustainability … Ultimately, Pressure Cooker asks: Using the UAE as a case study, how can architecture be mobilized towards greater food security?”
Specifically, Pressure Cooker examines how local expertise in food production has adapted over time to the climatic and environmental conditions of the Gulf region, with local design solutions ranging from the vernacular to the technologically sophisticated. By proposing a series of greenhouse models, Pressure Cooker looks into how architecture can respond to the UAE’s and the globe’s food security challenges, resulting in a possible future in which these forms can be integrated throughout our built and lived environments.
The 19th Biennale Architettura runs from 10 May to 23 November 2025; it’s curated by Italian architect, engineer, and educator Carlo Ratti under the title ‘Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective’. The National Pavilion UAE has a permanent site pavilion at the Sale d’Armi in Venice’s Arsenale.
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