Architecture and design firm MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong, has unveiled a captivating and poetic installation at the heart of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. Titled Chinese Paper Umbrella, the structure transforms the outdoor garden of the China Pavilion, located within the historic Arsenale, into a space of tranquil reflection and responsive shelter, resonating deeply with the Biennale’s theme “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”
Inspired by the ancient craft of the traditional Chinese oil paper umbrella, MAD reimagines this cultural icon on an architectural scale. The primary material is Xuan paper, meticulously coated with layers of tung oil. This traditional technique achieves a delicate balance, rendering the canopy translucent yet water-resistant. The result is a striking installation that provides essential shade from the sun and shelter from the rain for Biennale visitors navigating the unpredictable Venice maritime climate, known for its sudden shifts between intense sunshine and downpours.
Stepping beneath the expansive canopy feels akin to entering an intimate open-air theatre. Visitors are immediately enveloped in a unique atmosphere, experiencing the subtle interplay of shifting light and shadow and gentle variations in temperature between the interior sanctuary and the surrounding garden. Positioned near the end of the Arsenale route, the China Pavilion garden offers a natural pause, inviting moments of rest, quiet contemplation, or simply space to breathe.
Crucially, the Chinese Paper Umbrella is designed as a responsive environment. Its semi-translucent surface and breathable seams maintain a constant dialogue with the surrounding air and light. Modern sensing technology seamlessly integrates with the traditional tung oil craftsmanship, allowing the structure to adapt dynamically. On hot, dry days, a built-in misting system activates at the canopy’s apex, gently cooling the air beneath and enhancing visitor comfort. Within the canopy, OPPLE Lighting’s Smart Dynamic Light (SDL) system further enhances the experience, reacting to changing weather and daylight conditions. As light filters and moves across the oiled paper surface, the umbrella transforms into a pavilion of dappled shadow and glow, mirroring the natural rhythms of day and night.
A profound aspect of the design is its inherent ephemerality. Over the course of the Biennale, the oil paper will naturally yellow, wear, and slowly degrade under the influence of weather and sunlight. This gradual transformation is not a flaw but a core concept, underscoring the structure’s impermanence. It offers a deeply poetic reflection on the potential for architecture and the natural world to coexist thoughtfully, suggesting a model for responsive design within our changing climate. It speaks to a philosophy where beauty embraces transience.
MAD‘s Chinese Paper Umbrella stands as a testament to the power of blending cultural heritage with contemporary innovation. It demonstrates how sustainable architecture can be deeply rooted in tradition while utilizing modern technology to create spaces that are both functional and profoundly experiential. This Venice Biennale installation provides not just shelter, but a multi-sensory journey and a quiet meditation on time, materiality, and our relationship with the environment.
The Chinese Paper Umbrella is on view at the China Pavilion of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, located at Arsenale – Magazzino Delle Cisterne, Castello 2169/F, Venice, Italy, from May 10 through November 23, 2025.