The Kingdom of Bahrain's national pavilion Heatwave has been awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. Three Bartlett alumni from The Bartlett School of Architecture and The Bartlett Development Planning Unit contributed to this significant achievement.
The pavilion was commissioned by His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and alumnus of The Bartlett Development Planning Unit (Environment and Sustainable Development MSc, 2010).
Dr Wafa Al-Ghatam (Architectural Space and Computation MPhil/PhD, 2024) contributed to the pavilion's publication with her architectural and urban insights on Bahrain, along with Layla Hasan (Architecture and Historic Urban Environments MA, 2023).
The Pavilion offers viable proposal for extreme heat conditions. As the designers explain, “Architecture must address the dual challenges of environmental resilience and sustainability. The ingenious solution can be deployed in public spaces and in locations where people must live and work outdoors in conditions of extreme heat. The pavilion uses traditional methods of passive cooling typical of the region and reminiscence of wind towers and shaded courtyards.
Located in the Arsenale, Heatwave features a central column connected to chains supporting a square-shaped ceiling that provides cooling to the area underneath. The installation was specifically focused on providing climate comfort for people working labour-intensive jobs outdoors and on construction sites, with seats made from sandbags surrounding the perimeter.
The design concept draws inspiration from traditional Bahraini cooling techniques with contemporary innovation, integrating a geothermal well and a solar chimney. It proposes adaptable solutions for enhancing thermal comfort in urban environments increasingly stressed by heat.
Heatwave was curated by architect Andrea Faraguna. Other contributors include Abdulla Janahi, Alexander Puzrin, Eman Ali (photography), Laila Al Shaikh, Maitham Al Mubarak, Mario Monotti (structural engineering) and Mohammad Salim. The pavilion was coordinated by Batool Al Shaikh and Sara Ali, with Deputy Commissioner Noura Al Sayeh-Holtrop. Publication contributors included Dr Wafa Al-Ghatam, Layla Hasan, Caitlin Mueller, Eduardo Gascón Alvarez, Jonathan Brearley, Latifa Al Khayat, Leslie Norford, Maryam Al Jomairi, Paris Bezanis and Viola Zhang.
The Venice Architecture Biennale takes place from 10 May to 23 November 2025.
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Image credits: Eman Ali, courtesy of HE Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities
The Bartlett at the Venice Biennale
Read more about The Bartlett's participation in the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale
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