Archinfo, the Information Centre for Finnish Architecture, has announced the theme, curator, and exhibition team for the Pavilion of Finland at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition, titled “The Pavilion – Architecture of Stewardship”, will focus on the diverse labor involved in constructing and maintaining architecture, from design contributions by architectural workers and engineers to the efforts of construction workers, restoration architects, maintenance staff, and cleaners, all of whom play vital roles in the creation and upkeep of the built environment. Curated by Ella Kaira and Matti Jänkälä from the Helsinki-based architecture practice Vokal, it will use Alvar and Elissa Aalto’s Pavilion of Finland to explore architecture as a collaborative endeavor.
The Finnish Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale Explores Architecture as a Collaborative Endeavour – Image 2 of 26The Finnish Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale Explores Architecture as a Collaborative Endeavour – Image 3 of 26The Finnish Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale Explores Architecture as a Collaborative Endeavour – Image 4 of 26The Finnish Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale Explores Architecture as a Collaborative Endeavour – Image 5 of 26The Finnish Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale Explores Architecture as a Collaborative Endeavour – More Images+ 21
The Pavilion of Finland, designed by Alvar and Elissa Aalto, was built in the Giardini in 1956. Originally intended as a temporary structure, the small wooden pavilion is now a protected cultural heritage site and one of the best-known works of architecture in the Giardini. It is one of only two buildings the modernist architect Alvar Aalto designed in Italy (and the only one completed during his lifetime). “The Pavilion – Architecture of Stewardship” is based on the premise that the building carries a mythos that has contributed to its preservation while also obscuring the many contributors to its ongoing existence. The exhibition traces the Pavilion’s journey from its construction through decades of continuous maintenance and three major restorations to the present day, positioning those involved in this work as co-creators alongside the original architect.
