MAD’s Venice Installation Imagines a Unified Future for Humanity and Nature
The Venice Architecture Biennale once again cements its status as a breeding ground for innovation, owing to a captivating interactive installation by MAD Architects. The firm, led by Ma Yansong, enhances its role at the event with City of Plants. This installation, developed under the guidance of Biennale curator Carlo Ratti, investigates how our connection with nature will influence the future of urban environments.
City of Plants consists of three elements—a responsive base equipped with sensors, a built-in audio-visual system, and three interconnected ecological landscapes situated beneath dome-like structures. Sensors track the condition of the plants, collecting data on factors like humidity, temperature, and light levels. This data is then utilized to produce a dynamic soundscape that permeates the exhibition space.
Attendees also engage in the experience, as their movements activate additional floor sensors that contribute to the soundscape through a custom algorithm. In this manner, humans and plants interact to enrich the ambiance, symbolizing how “the richness of human sensory experience within nature becomes the primary measure of urban quality.”
The entire installation is enveloped within a larger dome, crafting an intimate setting for experiencing City of Plants. Through its blend of state-of-the-art technology, design, and ecology, MAD’s venture aligns seamlessly with this year’s theme, “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.” The theme, curated by Ratti, urges architects and designers to showcase how the natural environment and intelligent technology can unite to enhance our future amidst a backdrop of instability.
“In the era of adaptation, architecture is paramount and must proceed with optimism,” states Ratti. “Architecture should become as adaptable and dynamic as the world we are currently designing for.”
City of Plants, showcased in Venice’s Arsenale area, truly encapsulates this ethos. It is not MAD’s only offering at the Biennale; City of Plants complements their outdoor installation, Chinese Paper Umbrella, located outside the China Pavilion, also created by the firm.
The Venice Architecture Biennale continues until November 23, 2025.
MAD Architects expands its input to the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale with City of Plants.
This interactive installation represents a future where “the richness of human sensory experience within nature becomes the primary measure of urban quality.”