OBICUA @ Biennale di Architettura 2025

“Architecture has always been a response to a hostile climate. From the earliest ‘primitive huts,’ human design has been driven not only by the need for shelter and survival, but also by optimism. Our creations have always sought to bridge the gap between a harsh environment, the safe and livable spaces we need, and the kind of life we aspire to live. Today, as the climate grows increasingly unpredictable, this dynamic reaches a new level. In the past two years, climate change has accelerated beyond even the most advanced scientific forecasts.

The Italian Pavilion is dedicated to the fundamental relationship between water and land, between nature and artificiality, between infrastructure and landscape, between city and coast—a relationship that shapes the identity of the country and the delicate balance between environment, humanity, culture, and economy. Viewing Italy from the sea demands a shift in perspective, requiring us to rethink the design of the boundary between land and water as an integrated system of architecture, infrastructure, and landscape.

Among the contributions featured is OBICUA’s proposal, which aligns with the theme of reinterpreting threshold devices—transitional elements between land and sea such as dikes, piers, breakwaters, coastal barriers, lighthouses, and artificial platforms. The project focuses on enhancing the numerous towers that line the Italian coastline and restoring their original function as sentinels. This conservation effort aims to return them to the territory and invites reflection on how our choices impact marine life. As in the past, it is a beacon that signals danger. Three illuminated rings surround the towers, indicating the level of risk associated with sea-level rise, based on projections from ENEA.