Biennale 2025: The Albanian Pavilion and an Investigation into the Role of Architecture in the Pursuit of Freedom

The Albanian Pavilion at the 2025 Biennale Architettura in Venice has been designed as a statement against the public spaces and buildings of the former regime. Edi Rama, mayor of Tirana between 2000 and 2011 and now prime minister of Albania, has described this as a way of “reclaiming individualism.”

Following the collapse of the country’s dictatorship in 1992, Albanians soundly rejected the vestiges of totalitarianism and asserted their right to private space as an expression of their long-denied freedom and individualism. This cultural and social transformation continues today, with architecture and the built environment playing a key role in the process. Albanian architects now enjoy creative freedom but need to balance it against financial constraints, the public interest, and environmental considerations. Titled “Building Architecture Culture,” the Albania Pavilion encapsulates these often traumatic historical and social shifts while pointing to the path forward. Located in the Arsenale at Venice’s 2025 Biennale Architettura, the pavilion was curated by Anneke Abhelakh.

Past, present, and future converge under one roof in the pavilion, which is organized into three sections. The first section sets the historical scene of the relationship between architecture, society, and political power through a hundred images that capture Tirana’s iconic landmarks, such as Skanderbeg Square and the Pyramid of Tirana. The second section focuses on the present, as narrated by the film The Albanian Calls, which examines what it means to be an architect in contemporary Albania. Finally, the third section looks toward the future through 3D visualizations that feature the work of 56 practices currently operating in Albania.

The 56 exhibitors in the pavilion include Álvaro Siza, Archea Associati, Barozzi Veiga, Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects, BIG, DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO, EAA Emre Arolat Architecture, Eduardo Souto De Moura, Kengo Kuma & Associates, Mario Cucinella Architects, MVRDV, NOA, OMA, SelgasCano, Stefano Boeri Architetti, Steven Holl Architects, Studio Fuksas, and Studio Gang. A program of meetings and roundtables is intended to foster dialogue between architecture and society, and academia and the public sphere. These sessions are also available as podcasts, produced in collaboration with KOOZARCH, for people unable to make it to Venice.