The title ‘Intelligens’ – deliberately written with a Latin ‘s’ – refers to an expanded notion of intelligence: not only human thinking, but also that of nature, machines and communities. This idea runs through the exhibition in three thematic strands: Natural Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and Collective Intelligence. The aim is to highlight new forms of knowledge and design that transcend traditional boundaries. In this way, ‘Intelligens’ becomes a bridge between architecture and social change.

Architecture in the Age of the Circular Economy

Ratti calls on all participants to sign a manifesto for a circular economy. Reusable materials, resource-efficient processes and circular design should not only be proclaimed, but actively implemented. Architecture becomes a regenerative system – materially and intellectually. Even logistics, energy supply and transport must be rethought in terms of sustainability. The 19th Biennale sees itself as a real-life testing ground for a sustainable exhibition culture.

Germany Turns up the Heat: A Stress Test

The German Pavilion is called STRESSTEST and explores the increasing overheating of urban environments as a direct consequence of the climate crisis. Curators Nicola Borgmann, Elisabeth Endres, Daniele Santucci and Gabriele G. Kiefer stage a physically tangible confrontation: visitors move between an overheated space (STRESS), which makes the urgent problems of enclosed cities palpable, and a cool, temperate counterspace (DE-STRESS), which functions as a climatic retreat.

The exhibition is accompanied by a poetic installation by artist Christoph Brech, which reflects the fragility of our environment in a sensual and abstract way. But the pavilion is more than an atmospheric statement: data-driven microclimate simulations informed its design, with the aim of presenting tangible solutions for climate-resilient building.

The project also follows a strong futuristic design principle: the pavilion is solar powered and built with reusable materials. STRESSTEST is therefore not only an analysis, but also an architectural call to action.

Living, Surviving, Coexisting: International Perspectives

The Austrian exhibition, Agency for Better Living, explores how social housing and the evolution of existing structures in cities such as Vienna and Rome can promote new models of living. France, meanwhile, looks at buildings in areas of crisis and conflict and experiments with temporary structures. The US exhibition PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity, reinterprets the porch as a space for community. Finding architectural answers to global challenges is the common thread running through all entries.

Thinking in Many Voices: Architecture as an Open Laboratory

The Biennale 2025 brings together over 750 contributions from around 60 countries – from architecture, art, technology and science. It is a laboratory for new alliances and experimental building practices. It’s not just about buildings, but about relationships – between people, materials and systems. The exhibitions, discussions and installations reflect the complexity of a world in transition. Architecture becomes a medium for dialogue – across disciplines, cultures and continents.