- For its fourth participation in the Biennale Architettura, Saudi Arabia will be represented byRiyadh-based architectural practice Syn Architects (Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi)
- The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, titled The Um Slaim School: An Architecture ofConnection, is curated by Beatrice Leanza, assisted by Sara Almutlaq, and offers an interpretivereflection about the contemporary urban environment of Saudi Arabia and situated spatial practice.§ A program of laboratorial and public sessions led by curator Beatrice Leanza and supported byMaryam AlNoaimi will run throughout the Biennale Architettura 2025.
- The 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia will take place fromMay 10 to November 23, 2025
.Saudi Arabia, February 4, 2025 – The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia at the 19th InternationalArchitecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia will present Syn Architects (Sara Alissa and NojoudAlsudairi) and The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection.
Curated by Beatrice Leanza,assisted by Sara Almutlaq, the exhibition stages a living archive and interactive site to launch analternative pedagogical platform that builds on the work of Syn Architects and the Um SlaimCollective.Established in 2021, the Um Slaim Collective is a collaborative initiative from the Riyadh-based SynArchitects, founded by Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi, to study the displacement of Najdiarchitecture in central Riyadh. The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection draws togetheroral, visual, and experimental documentation probing the layered stories and relationshipsembedded in the fabric of the city to articulate novel modes of reading and imagining the builtenvironment that are continuous with the spatial learnings of the past. In so doing, it aims to nurturea new ecosystem for architectural education in Saudi Arabia and foster transnational dialogue withgenerational experiences that are similarly engaging practice-led pedagogies and research-centeredmethodologies to address challenges related to climate change, resource management, and thesocial dimension of the city.The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection expounds upon the architectural heritage ofRiyadh in relation to ecology, identity, and urban-making by advancing how local pedagogicalinstitutions and places of knowledge can address the urgencies of a rapidly evolving world – in SaudiArabia, the Arab region, and beyond.A generative program of laboratorial and public sessions led by curator Beatrice Leanza andsupported by Maryam AlNoaimi will contribute to and enhance spatial and urban thinking in theregion while opening up transnational collaboration to inform the future school. A publication will beproduced in tandem with the program to collate the outcomes for application post-BiennaleArchitettura 2025.Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, Chief Executive Officer of the Architecture and Design Commission atthe Ministry of Culture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia commented on the participation: “The fourthparticipation of Saudi Arabia at the International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia,this year with The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection, illustrates our commitment tocontemporary approaches in architecture that honor our heritage while addressing globalchallenges. By spotlighting an emerging generation of designers on a prominent international stage,we aim to inspire solutions for sustainable urban development locally and worldwide.”Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi, Syn Architects’ partners said: “The Um Slaim School is afoundation for an alternative approach to architectural re-imagining through spatial narratives andmateriality. This pavilion will invite a collective retelling of our effect on the environments we inhabitand our urban histories. Our interest lies in that symbiosis, how our values and ideas shape ourworld, and how the parameters of our landscapes influence that shaping.”Beatrice Leanza, Curator said: “Our participation at the Biennale Architettura 2025 embraces theemergence of generational voices in Saudi Arabia that are reshaping spatial practices.
The Um SlaimSchool reflects a critical shift towards participatory frameworks for urban futures and eco-socialimaginaries of resilience and renewal. It endeavors to create an alternative pedagogical initiative thatremains rooted in vernacular knowledge while striving to suggest new pathways for architecture’srole and purpose in today’s world.”The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia will present The Um Slaim School: An Architecture ofConnection from May 10 (preopening May 8 and 9) to November 23, 2025, at the BiennaleArchitettura 2025. This will mark Saudi Arabia’s eighth participation at the International Architectureand Art Exhibitions organized by La Biennale di Venezia. The Saudi Pavilion is located in theArsenale and acts as a home for the Kingdom’s most innovative talent from across its regions.
Cultural practitioners will use the pavilion as a hub to explore, research, and collaborate in the fieldsof art and architecture.The Architecture and Design Commission is the commissioner of the National Pavilion of SaudiArabia for the Biennale Architettura participations. The Commission supports architects anddesigners from Saudi Arabia through educational programs and initiatives to support talent andcreative thinking that reflects the Kingdom’s diverse culture.Press ContactFor press enquiries,
About the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia
The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia supports and celebrates the Kingdom’s artistic andarchitectural community. It serves as a meeting space for dialogue between creative minds, and anexchange of concepts and ideas.
The pavilion provides a permanent home for research and ideationfrom the nation’s leading cultural voices. To learn more about the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia,please visit www.saudipavilion.org and on Instagram: @saudipavilion.About Sara Alissa, Syn ArchitectsSara Alissa is a Riyadh-based architect and artist. Her practice focuses on and examines thephysical boundaries of materials in the local context to help shape the quality of our environments.As a partner at Syn Architects, Alissa brings a nuanced understanding of place and form to her work.Alissa holds an MA in Situated Practice from Bartlett UCL, UK and a BA in Architecture from theUniversity of East London. Her notable projects include When the Earth Began to Look at Itself(2024) at Desert X AlUla and Anywhere Can Be a Place of Worship (2023) at the Islamic ArtsBiennale, both exploring materiality and cultural narratives. She led the restoration and extension ofthe Shamalat Cultural Center, Riyadh (2023) and developed the Almasar Mosque, Riyadh (2019).
About Nojoud Alsudairi,
Syn ArchitectsNojoud Alsudairi is a Riyadh-based artist and architect whose research-driven practice focuses onthe personal and collective identity rooted in contemporary urban Saudi culture. A partner at SynArchitects, she explores culturally resonant design within the context of Saudi Arabia’s evolvingurban landscape. Alsudairi holds an MA in Situated Practice from Bartlett UCL, UK, and a BA inArchitecture Engineering from Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia. Her acclaimed projectsinclude When the Earth Began to Look at Itself (2024) at Desert X AlUla and Ricochet (2021) at thefirst edition of Noor Riyadh, both exploring materiality, poetry, and cultural narratives. She led therefurbishment of the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Exhibition Center, Riyadh (2018) and contributed to therestoration of the Shamalat Cultural Center, Riyadh (2023).
About Beatrice LeanzaBeatrice
Leanza is a cultural strategist, museum director, and critic with expertise in design and artsacross Asia and beyond. She earned an MA in Asian Studies from Ca’ Foscari University, Venice,specializing in contemporary Chinese art, and spent seventeen years in Beijing shaping the Chinesecreative scene.Leanza has served as executive director of MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology(Lisbon), director of mudac – Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (Lausanne), andcreative director of Beijing Design Week, where she launched the Baitasi Remade urbanregeneration program. She also co-founded The Global School, China’s first independent institutefor design and creative practice.Her international projects include Across Chinese Cities at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2014,2016, 2018) and Visual Natures at MAAT (2020–2022). A European Young Leader since 2018, sheserves on the advisory board of Design Trust (Hong Kong).
Her book The New Design Museum(Park Books, 2025) explores emerging institutional practices in design and architecture addressingtwenty-first-century challenges.About the Architecture and Design CommissionThe Architecture and Design Commission, established in 2020, is one of eleven commissions underthe Ministry of Culture in Saudi Arabia, representing key disciplines including architecture, urbandesign and planning, landscape architecture, interior design, graphic design, and industrial design
.The Commission supports and encourages practitioners, organizes exhibitions and seminars, andstimulates thinking in the sector to build an architecture and design landscape that mirrors theKingdom’s rich and diverse culture.Aligned with the objectives of the Ministry of Culture and Vision 2030, the Architecture and DesignCommission promotes excellence in architecture and design, reflects Saudi Arabia’s cultural identityand ambitions, empowers local talent, and enhances the quality of life within communities.About the Ministry of Culture, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia has a vast history of arts and culture. The Ministry of Culture is developing SaudiArabia’s cultural economy and enriching the daily lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Overseeingeleven sector-specific commissions, the Ministry is leading a cultural transformation to develop anabundant ecosystem that nurtures creativity, unlocks the economic potential of the sector, andunleashes new and inspiring forms of expression. Find the Ministry of Culture on social media: X(Twitter) @MOCSaudi (Arabic); @MOCSaudi_En (English) | Instagram @mocsaudi.
