Coexistence Facing a “Real Reality”: Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu Announced as Directors of Venice Architecture Biennale 2027

The first official announcement regarding the eagerly anticipated 2027 edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale (Biennale Architettura) has been made. Pritzker Prize-winning master Chinese architect Wang Shu and his partner Lu Wenyu have been announced as the directors of the 20th International Architecture Exhibition, to be held between May 8 – November 21, 2027. The main theme determined by the duo is quite provocative: “Do Architecture — For the Possibility of Coexistence Facing a Real Reality”.

Memory of Material and Slow Architecture: Wang Shu & Lu Wenyu

Founding Amateur Architecture Studio together in 1997, Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu display a radical stance against the mass production-, speed-, and profit-oriented structure of the contemporary architecture world. The duo also assumed a transformative role in academia by founding the Architecture Department of the China Academy of Art in 2003 and its School of Architecture in 2007.

In 2012, Wang Shu went down in history as the first Chinese architect to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered the Nobel of architecture. However, the true strength behind this achievement lies in the philosophy they developed together with Lu Wenyu:

• Recycled Material: Old bricks, tiles, and stones gathered from demolished traditional Chinese buildings finding new life in new structures.

• Traditional Craft: Bringing together the knowledge of local masters and craftspeople with contemporary construction technologies.

• Slow Transformation: A sustainable tempo that constructs the past as the living material of today, against a “demolish-and-build” culture driven by an obsession with speed.

Coexisting “Facing a Real Reality”

The emphasis on “Real Reality” in the Biennale’s title proposes moving beyond ornate theoretical debates to confront the concrete crises facing our world today. Amid climate crises, geopolitical conflicts, and deepening global inequalities, it questions how architecture should step down from its ivory towers and assume a role on the ground.

According to the official statement from La Biennale di Venezia, the 2027 edition will focus on constructing possibilities of “coexistence” across the following fundamental layers:

• The Natural and the Artificial: Human intervention and ecological balance meeting on a common plane.

• Innovation and Memory: The dialogue between future technologies and the structural memory of the past.

• Contemporary Design and Local Cultures: Protecting and transforming local architectural heritage against the homogenization brought by globalization.

Not to Be Confused: Architecture Biennale or Art Biennale?

It is useful to open a small but critical parenthesis here: Venice hosts two giant organizations held alternately every two years. This announcement should not be confused with the Venice Art Biennale (Biennale Arte), taking place in 2026.

The 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale (Biennale Architettura), led by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, will open its doors on May 8, 2027, and spread across the Giardini and Arsenale areas, as well as historic venues throughout Venice.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Venice Architecture Biennale 2027

When will the Venice Architecture Biennale 2027 take place?

The Biennale can be visited between May 8 – November 21, 2027, in Venice, Italy. Details and ticketing processes can be followed at labiennale.org.

Who are the directors of the 2027 Biennale?

Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, founders of Amateur Architecture Studio. Wang Shu is the recipient of the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

What is the 2027 theme of the Biennale?

“Do Architecture — For the Possibility of Coexistence Facing a Real Reality”.

⚠️ NO-26 Editor’s Note

The artistic and architectural line of Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu stands on an extremely concrete, tactile, and human trajectory that weaves new buildings from the bricks of ruins, honoring craftsmanship and the memory of the soil. The Venice Architecture Biennale is generally a platform where intense theoretical and academic debates take place; however, the leadership of these two figures will transform the exhibition opening on May 8, 2027, from utopias on paper into a material-focused experience that directly “lives and feels.” Even for art and culture audiences outside the architecture world, it is a fantastic gathering to note down in the 2027 agenda in advance!