MAD Unveils Chinese Paper Umbrella at Venice Biennale's China Pavilion

At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, themed "Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective," MAD's installation Chinese Paper Umbrella is presented in the outdoor space of the China Pavilion...

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From the architect: Inspired by the traditional Chinese oil paper umbrella, the installation uses Xuan paper as its main material. The paper is coated multiple times with tung oil to make it both translucent and water-resistant. The structure gives new form and scale to this ancient craft, transforming it into an outdoor space that offers shade from the sun and shelter from the rain.

Venice’s maritime climate brings moderate shifts between day and night temperatures, and its weather is often unpredictable, alternating between strong sun, sudden rain, and occasionally strong winds. Located near the end of the Arsenale exhibition route, the China Pavilion’s outdoor garden offers a natural place to pause. As visitors move through the exhibition, they are invited into a moment of quiet reflection, rest, or simply space to breathe.

Stepping beneath the umbrella feels like entering an intimate open-air theatre, where visitors are immersed in shifting light and subtle atmospheric changes. Visitors experience shifting patterns of light and shadow, along with a subtle difference in temperature between inside and out.

The Chinese Paper Umbrella is designed to respond to its environment. The semi translucent surface and breathable seams keep it connected to the surrounding air and light. On hot, dry days, a built-in misting system activates at the top of the structure, cooling the air beneath and enhancing comfort for visitors. Traditional tung oil craftsmanship is combined with modern sensing technology to adapt to temperature, humidity, and light.

Inside the canopy, MAD has integrated OPPLE Lighting’s Smart Dynamic Light (SDL) system, which responds to changes in weather and daylight. As light moves across the oiled paper, the umbrella becomes a pavilion of shadow and glow, reflecting the rhythms of day and night.

Over time, the oil paper will naturally yellow, wear, and slowly degrade with weather and sunlight. Its gradual disappearance underscores the structure’s impermanence and offers a poetic reflection on how architecture and the natural world might coexist in thoughtful response to our changing climate.

The installation is on view at the China Pavilion of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, through November 23, 2025.

Architect: MAD Architects
Location: Arsenale – Magazzino Delle Cisterne, Castello 2169/F, 30122 Venice, Italy
Year: 2025
Design Team: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano, Jiang Yunyao, Zhou Rui, Yang Xuebing, He Linxi, Huang Juntao, Pan Siyi, Valentina Olivieri
Lighting Partner: OPPLE Lighting
Structural Consultant: RFR Shanghai
Fabrication: Far East Façade