Today, 200 million people in 350+ cities face summer highs above 35°C (95°F). With the number of cities exposed to extreme temperatures expected to nearly triple over the next decades, Urban Heat Chronicles explores community-scale solutions to urban heat resilience through three interconnected elements: a static installation, a mobile pavilion, and participatory workshops. Inspired by Venice’s laundry lines and narrow streets, the static installation suspends upcycled textiles block-printed with patterns of heat-adaptive plant strategies. This creates shaded spaces that echo centuries-old architectural wisdom while fostering environmental and social connections. The mobile pavilion extends these ideas into the Venetian campi with a nomadic shade structure that tracks the sun, mirroring plants’ ability to adapt. Hosting discussions, meals, and spontaneous gatherings, it becomes a living example of tactical shade solutions. Participatory workshops engage visitors and Venetians in crafting plant-inspired patterns using cyanotype dyes and upcycled fabrics, linking creativity with climate action. Through storytelling and traditional craft techniques, these workshops illuminate how both plants and people thrive through adaptation and collaboration. Together, these elements highlight pathways to climate resilience by blending ecological insight with urban innovation. Through shade, pattern, and participation, Urban Heat Chronicles transforms Venice into a living laboratory for sustainable futures.
Participants
C40 CITIES MILAN, ITALY Emma Greer, Edmonton, Canada, 1988. Lives and works in Milan, Italy.
MIT FUTURE HERITAGE LAB CAMBRIDGE, USA Azra Aksamija, Sarajevo, Bosnia, 1976. Lives and works in Boston, USA.
T12 LAB MILAN, ITALY Elisabetta Bianchessi, Paderno Dugnano, Italy, 1967. Lives and works in Milan, Italy.
QUASIQUASI MILAN, ITALY Alberto Wolfango Amedeo D’Asaro, Giussano, Italy, 1987. Lives and works in Milan, Italy.
PROJECT FOR PEOPLE MILAN, ITALY Anna Doneda, Milano, Italy, 1979. Lives and works in Milan, Italy.
Authorial Collaborators
Camille Tallon, C40 Cities; Ganit Goldstein, Kailin Jones, Lillian Kology, Merve Akdoğan and Penelope Phylactopoulos, MIT Future Heritage Lab
Technical Collaborators
Francesco Polvi, Wood-Skin Team MIT Future Heritage Lab: Christopher Hassan Allen (Static Installation); MGZarch: Fabrizio De Gaetano (Mobile Pavilion); QuasiQuasi: Alessandra Mottadelli, Alessandro Las Casas, Giuseppe Maria Paolillo, Marco Olgiati, Mattia Salvà, Matteo Signorelli, Roberta Donatini, (Participatory Workshops); Project for People: Elena Pagallo, Tiziano Passerini, Alberto Accettura (Workshops)
Supporters
The Boott Cotton Mills Museum, Lowell, MA
