Architecture comes alive at the Venice Biennale

From May 10 to November 23, 2025, Canada is making waves at the Venice Architecture Biennale with Picoplanktonics: a visionary exhibition that blurs the boundaries between architecture and biology. Hosted in the Canada Pavilion, this project is led by The Living Room Collective and architect-biodesigner Andrea Shin Ling, whose work reimagines architecture as a living, breathing system.

At the heart of Picoplanktonics are 3D-printed structures infused with live cyanobacteria, microscopic organisms capable of capturing carbon and regenerating ecosystems. These forms are both symbolic and functional.

Designed using ETH Zurich’s robotic fabrication platform, the structures are printed at architectural scale and nurtured throughout the exhibition by on-site caretakers. The pavilion itself has been adapted to support life, offering the right balance of light, moisture, and warmth for the cyanobacteria to thrive. 

You may also want to read: A sustainable solution in the real estate market

Photo by Valentina Mori

Interdisciplinary research

Picoplanktonics is the culmination of four years of interdisciplinary research, bringing together experts in biology, robotics, material science, and architecture. Collaborators include ETH Zurich, Toronto Metropolitan University, and the University of Toronto.

Rather than presenting architecture as static or extractive, the exhibition proposes a regenerative model, one that prioritizes ecological resilience and invites us to rethink how buildings interact with the planet.

Picoplanktonics offers a hopeful, tangible vision for the future of regenerative construction. It challenges traditional building practices. It invites global audiences to imagine a future where architecture not only shelters but heals.

Photo by Valentina Mori

Source: Canada Council for the Arts and La Biennale

You might be interested: This 3D printed chair was designed by nature