Ireland’s Venice Biennale Pavilion Reimagines Architecture as a Space for Civic Dialogue
At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2025, Ireland presents a pavilion that asks a timely question: Can architecture encourage strangers to engage in meaningful dialogue?
Curated by Cotter & Naessens Architects and commissioned by Culture Ireland in partnership with the Arts Council of Ireland, the pavilion—titled Assembly—was inaugurated by Yvonne Farrell of Grafton Architects, alongside Sharon Barry, Director of Culture Ireland, and Fionnuala Sweeney, Head of Architecture at the Arts Council.
Architecture as a Stage for Participation
At the heart of Assembly lies an exploration of how architecture can create spaces for collective participation, reflection, and exchange. The concept draws inspiration from Ireland’s first Citizens’ Assembly, established in 2016 as a groundbreaking model of participatory democracy that brought citizens into direct conversation with governance.Unlike the rapid, algorithm-driven flow of digital information, the Citizens’ Assembly emphasized slower, more deliberate conversations that prioritize consensus and inclusion. Cotter & Naessens translate this democratic ethos into architecture, creating a pavilion that encourages non-hierarchical communication and civic dialogue.
A Prototype for Gathering
The pavilion introduces a speculative prototype structure designed to foster dialogue among strangers. Its design borrows from architectural forms historically associated with collective gathering—choir stalls, parliamentary chambers, and even Irish cattle marts.Circular, modular, and deliberately modest in scale, the prototype can adapt to different environments, from schools to shopping centers, transforming ordinary spaces into arenas of civic participation.
