UAE Explores Sustainable Food Architecture at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025

The United Arab Emirates will present Pressure Cooker, an ambitious exhibition curated by Emirati architect and scholar Azza Aboualam, at the 19th International Venice Architecture Biennale from May 10 to November 23, 2025. The exhibition delves into the urgent intersection of architecture, food production, and sustainability, particularly in response to the challenges posed by climate change and the global agrarian shift.

Curated under the auspices of the National Pavilion UAE, Pressure Cooker responds to the increasing instability in global food and water supply systems. These challenges are especially pressing in the Gulf region, where arid climates and rapid urban expansion complicate traditional agricultural methods. Rather than relying on centralized technological fixes, Pressure Cooker champions local, community-based solutions—an alternative narrative to mainstream food security strategies.

The exhibition, rooted in research and fieldwork, is both a historical investigation and a forward-looking design experiment. It scrutinizes how food-growing infrastructures—often hidden in resource-rich yet marginalized landscapes—interact with urban development and environmental constraints in the UAE. This includes archival materials and site studies of vernacular and high-tech food systems, many of which were developed in times of scarcity and ingenuity.

Aboualam’s work emphasizes how architectural innovation can foster self-sufficiency, enabling urban and rural communities alike to participate in more sustainable food systems. A central feature of the exhibition is a series of greenhouse prototypes, designed specifically for arid environments. These experimental structures demonstrate how architecture can facilitate food resilience, adaptability, and local engagement.

The significance of Pressure Cooker extends beyond the UAE. As global temperatures rise and agricultural systems grow more fragile, the need for integrated, climate-responsive design becomes increasingly urgent. The UAE’s example—focusing on community participation and the adaptation of local knowledge—offers valuable insights for both developing and developed regions facing similar ecological pressures.

In addition to the exhibition, a publication will accompany the pavilion, expanding on the findings and methodologies behind the research. This will include case studies and design strategies that explore how food, space, and the built environment are deeply interconnected.

The 2025 Biennale, curated by Carlo Ratti, operates under the theme Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective., which invites architects and designers to reflect on intelligence in its many forms—from machine learning to ecological wisdom. Pressure Cooker fits squarely within this theme, proposing that collective intelligence, grounded in both traditional knowledge and contemporary architecture, can provide sustainable paths forward.

The National Pavilion UAE is commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, with support from the UAE Ministry of Culture. It is housed permanently in the Arsenale’s Sale d’Armi, a prestigious location within the Biennale’s historic grounds.

Azza Aboualam, serving as the Pavilion’s curator, brings a distinctive voice to this year’s Biennale. An Assistant Professor at Zayed University in Dubai and Co-founder of Holesum Studio, she blends academic rigor with innovative practice. Holesum, based between New York and Sharjah, focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to design and sustainability. A graduate of the Yale School of Architecture, Aboualam’s work is known for integrating ecological awareness with architectural discourse, making her a fitting representative for the UAE’s forward-thinking exhibition.

As the climate crisis intensifies, Pressure Cooker emerges as a vital contribution to global conversations around how architecture can shape, protect, and nourish our shared future—especially when food and environment are at stake.