Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu curators of the Biennale Architettura 2027

The Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia, upon the recommendation of President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, deliberated the appointment of Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu as Directors of the Architecture Department, with the specific task of curating the 20^th International Architecture Exhibition which will take place in 2027, from Saturday, May 8^th to Sunday, November 21^st (pre-opening May 6^th and 7^th).

Architects and educators, Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu founded Amateur Architecture Studio in 1997. Together they established the Architecture Department at the China Academy of Art in 2003 and the School of Architecture in 2007, where Wang Shu is its first Dean and Lu Wenyu is the Director of the Sustainable Construction Center. They took part in the China Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura 2006, and were invited to participate in the Biennale Architettura 2010 by Kazuyo Sejima (where they received the Special Mention for the project “Decay of a Dome”) and in the Biennale Architettura 2016 by Alejandro Aravena.

They maintain a sustained focus on existing materials, the traces of ordinary people's daily lives, the vitality of the unnamed, common structures, and the process and craftsmanship of artisans on the construction site. They advocate for a radical experimentation that is rooted in the local context and vernacular tradition. The studio merges memory with innovation by combining recycled old building materials with modern engineering techniques, offering a powerful response to the social reality of urban development that involves large-scale demolition and construction. They have consistently upheld a broad global perspective, expressing through their works an innovative vision that transcends the cultural conflict between city and countryside, and the dichotomy of the artificial and the natural.

Among their best-known projects: the Ningbo Historic Museum, the Xiangshan Campus of China Academy of Art (selected by the New York Times in 2021 as one of “The 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture”), the Tiles Hill in HangZhou, the Renovation of Wencun Village, the Fuyang Cultural Complex, the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, the Preservation and Renovation of Southern Song Imperial Street, the Lin An Historic Museum, the Museum of Ancient Animals in Baoding, the Jin Sha Traditional Chinese Academy in Xia Men and the Xi'an Opera House and Concert Hall.

Their works have been exhibited in prestigious international institutions, including the MOMA in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Solo exhibitions have been dedicated to them at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, the Arc en rêve Centre d’architecture in Bordeaux and the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels. In 2019, they received the Gold Medal of the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society.

Wang Shu received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2012, the most prestigious international award in the field of architecture, and has been a Member of the French Academy of Architecture since 2023.

The President of La Biennale Pietrangelo Buttafuoco stated:
«It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu as Artistic Directors of the Architecture Department. Their vision, deeply rooted in the memory of places and in the knowledge of construction processes, represents today an essential voice in the international debate on architecture and on the meaning of inhabiting the world’s spaces. In them, La Biennale di Venezia recognizes two leading figures capable of combining cultural responsibility with experimental genius, offering a contribution of extraordinary quality at a time in history that demands knowledge, balance, and imagination. Their guidance will inspire broad and necessary reflection, projecting the Biennale Architettura 2027 toward new perspectives and new ways of understanding our relationship with space, memory, and the engaged community. We extend our sincerest gratitude to Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu for accepting this role, along with our warmest wishes for their work».

Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu have declared:
«We are very honored to be the Artistic Directors of the Architecture Department and Curators of the 20th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2027 by the invitation from President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. And thanks to the Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia for the trust in us. We will try our best to meet this big challenge. In the current world, the rapid and multiple changes in architecture are more a phenomenon of appearance, the result of excessive conceptualization or marked commercialization. Conceptual experiments driven to extremes are often divorced from reality and over-commercialization tends to be merely popular and short-lived. This phenomenon changes rapidly in order to survive, breaking away from the connection with the real place. It will lead to the death of architecture. Therefore, architecture becomes a kind of delusional expression about the future.
For this reason, in the face of the real crisis of this world, insisting on a simple and true concept and method of architecture has a special value. We will strive to present this value and exploration with the greatest sincerity for a better reality and future.
Once again, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks for President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and to the entire La Biennale di Venezia team».

Wang Shu (China)
Wang Shu is the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates and Member of the French Academy of Architecture for 2023. He is an architect and educator. He co-founded Amateur Architecture Studio with Lu Wenyu in 1997. Together they founded the Architecture Department at China Academy of Art in 2003 and the School of Architecture was established in 2007 where he is the first dean of the school.
Together with Lu Wenyu, he maintains a sustained focus on existing materials, the traces of ordinary people's daily lives, the vitality of those unnamed, common structures, and the process and craftsmanship of artisans on the construction site. They advocate for a radical architectural experimentation that is rooted in the vernacular and the immediate context. By combining recycled old building materials with modern engineering techniques, and merging memory with innovation, Wang Shu e Lu Wenyu have offered a powerful response to the social reality of urban development that involves large-scale demolition and construction.
They have consistently upheld a broad global perspective, expressing through their works an innovative vision that transcends the cultural conflict between city and countryside, and surpasses the traditions of the artificial and the natural, which is reflected in their built works such as Ningbo Historic Museum, Xiangshan Campus of China Academy of Art, the Tiles Hill in HangZhou, Renovation of Wencun Village, Fuyang Cultural Complex, The National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, Preservation and Renovation of Southern Song Imperial Street, and Lin An Historic Museum, Museum of Ancient Animals in Baoding, Jin Sha Traditional Chinese Academy in Xia Men and Xi'an Opera House and Concert Hall, Etc.
Their works have been exhibited in prestigious international institutions, including La Biennale di Venezia, the MOMA in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Solo exhibitions have been dedicated to them at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Arc en rêve Centre d’architecture in Bordeaux, BOZAR – Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels.
Their work “Xiangshan Campus of China Academy of Art” was one of “The 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture” all over the world, selected by the New York Times in 2021.
Wang Shu was the Kenzo Tange Visiting Professor at Harvard GSD in 2011. He is the visiting Professor in MIT, UCL, RICE, The University of Hong Kong and Tongji University. He received a Honorary Professorship from Southeast University, a Honorary Fellowship from RIBA, a Honorary Doctoral Degree from RISD, and a Honorary Doctoral Degree in Sociology from Chinese University of Hong Kong.
He has been awarded the French Gold Medal of the Academy of Architecture in 2011. He was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time in 2013. He was the recipient 2019 Gold Medal of Tau Sigma Delta. From 2018 to 2024 he was juror of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Lu Wenyu (China)
Lu Wenyu is an architect and co-founded Amateur Architecture Studio with Wang Shu in 1997. Together they founded the Architecture Department at China Academy of Art in 2003, initiating a new course of study that has profoundly influenced the teaching of architecture in China.
Lu is member of the French Academy of Architecture for 2023 and was a visiting Professor at Harvard Graduate School of Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University College London (UCL) and Rice University.
Together with Wang Shu, she maintains a sustained focus on existing materials, the traces of ordinary people's daily lives, the vitality of those unnamed, common structures, and the process and craftsmanship of artisans on the construction site. They advocate for a radical architectural experimentation that is rooted in the vernacular and the immediate context.
By combining recycled old building materials with modern engineering techniques, and merging memory with innovation, they have offered a powerful response to the social reality of urban development that involves large-scale demolition and construction. Lu and Wang have consistently upheld a broad global perspective, expressing through their works an innovative vision that transcends the cultural conflict between city and countryside, and surpasses the traditions of the artificial and the natural, which is reflected in their built works such as Ningbo Historic Museum, Xiangshan Campus of China Academy of Art, The tiles hill in Hang Zhou, Renovation of Wencun Village, Fuyang Cultural Complex, The National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, Preservation and Renovation of Southern Song Imperial Street, and Lin An Historic Museum, Museum of Ancient Animals in Baoding, Jin Sha Traditional Chinese Academy in Xia Men and Xi'an Opera House and Concert Hall.
Their works have been exhibited in prestigious international institutions, including La Biennale di Venezia, MOMA in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, in addition to solo exhibitions at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Arc en rêve centre d’architecture Bordeaux, BOZAR art Centre for Fine Arts Brussels. Their work “Xiangshan Campus of China Academy of Art” was one of “The 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture” all over the world, selected by the New York Times in 2021.
Lu Wenyu was awarded the Schelling Architecture Prize in Germany, a Special Mention at the Biennale Architettura in 2010 for the project “Decay of a Dome”, and listed among the RIBA’s 2015 Fellowships. She was the recipient 2019 Gold Medal of Tau Sigma Delta. She was the juror of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Lu Wenyu was the Chair of the Jury members for the RIBA International Prize 2024.
As a form of dual contemplation—a critical resistance against reality and a challenge towards the future—Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu together established a new Department of Architecture at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou in 2003. They launched a new model of architectural education that begins with the understanding of materials, manual labor, and the depiction of Chinese gardens. In an attempt to translate the studio's practical experience into an educational paradigm, the School of Architecture was founded in 2007. Wang Shu is its inaugural dean and Lu Wenyu is the director of the Sustainable Construction Center.