Venice Architecture Biennale 2025

As Principal Partner of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Brickworks was delighted to welcome 60 Australian architects on an exclusive Architour to celebrate the pinnacle of design, manufacturing, materiality, and innovation. 

Central to this year’s Biennale theme of “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”, Brickworks’ Architour placed Australia's leading architecture and design voices at the centre of global conversations around the future of architecture, design, and materiality, offering a variety of specially curated experiences centred around the built environment.

Set alongside the beautiful Venetian canals, guests were welcomed on the first evening to experience The Brickworks Bar. A regular fixture and key hub of the Biennale, members of the architecture and design community were invited to join together to participate in an evening of vibrant dialogue, focused on architecture, design, and community connections.

Beginning an eventful second day, guests were taken on an in-depth behind the scenes tour of Brickworks’ San Selmo brick factory, exploring the specialised manufacturing process behind Brickworks’ beautiful Venetian Glass bricks. With the tour showcasing all facets of the factory, guests explored the revered, time-honoured craftsmanship behind the bespoke materiality, as well as offering a glimpse into some exciting new products shaping the future of sustainable design and manufacturing. 

“Central to this year’s Biennale theme of “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”, Brickworks’ Architour placed Australia's leading architecture and design voices at the centre of global conversations around the future of architecture, design, and materiality, offering a variety of specially curated experiences centred around the built environment.”

A highly anticipated highlight of the tour on day three was the opening of the Australian Pavilion at the Biennale, entitled HOME. Curated by a team consisting of Jack Gillmer-Lilley, Professor Emily McDaniel, Dr. Michael Mossman, Kaylie Salvatori, Bradley Kerr, and Elle Davidson, the exhibition offered a deeply engaging experience, inviting viewers to consider their relationship to home and homeland, and how this intersects with community and design. Exploring Indigenous knowledge systems and connection to the Australian landscape, HOME also champions sustainability and a responsibility for both our built and natural environments.

The final stop of the tour following the pavilion’s opening was a delightful evening at the Commissioner’s Cocktail Party hosted by the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), where guests across the global design and architecture industry connected over exciting conversations and exchanged perspectives.

A proud supporter of the Venice Architecture Biennale, Brickworks were delighted to offer this invaluable cultural and educational experience through their Architour, advancing design learning, innovation, and dialogue, and fostering the Australian connection to the global design network at large.