{"id":632425,"date":"2026-06-11T04:35:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T04:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/632425\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T04:35:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T04:35:20","slug":"icelandic-pavilion-explores-bathing-culture-as-civic-infrastructure-at-the-2027-venice-architecture-biennale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/632425\/","title":{"rendered":"Icelandic Pavilion Explores Bathing Culture as Civic Infrastructure at the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Icelandic<\/a>The Retreat at Blue Lagoon by Basalt Architects. Image \u00a9 Giorgio Possenti<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1042324\/icelandic-pavilion-explores-bathing-culture-as-civic-infrastructure-at-the-2027-venice-architecture-biennale<\/p>\n

The Icelandic Pavilion at the 20th International Architecture Exhibition \u2013 La Biennale di Venezia<\/a> will present SOAK: Rituals of Collective Belonging, an exhibition examining Iceland<\/a>‘s bathing culture through the lens of architecture, public space, and social interaction. Commissioned by Halla Helgad\u00f3ttir, Iceland Design and Architecture, the project is curated by Marcos Zotes<\/a>, partner at Basalt Architects<\/a>, and developed through a multidisciplinary collaboration between Basalt Architects, design studio Gagarin, and artist R\u00e1n Flygenring. SOAK marks the second Icelandic participation in the Architecture Biennale selected through an open call process, following Lavaforming by s.ap architects<\/a>, which represented Iceland at the 2025 edition.<\/p>\n

\"Icelandic<\/a>\"Icelandic<\/a>\"Icelandic<\/a>\"Icelandic<\/a>\"Icelandic+ 3<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IcelandicThe multidisciplinary exhibition team behind \u201cSOAK: Rituals of Collective Belonging,\u201d Iceland\u2019s entry for the 20th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Pictured from left to right: Marcos Zotes, Krist\u00edn Eva \u00d3lafsd\u00f3ttir, R\u00e1n Flygenring, Perla D\u00eds Kristinsd\u00f3ttir, Hr\u00f3lfur Karl Cela, Nils Wiberg. Image \u00a9 Aldi\u0301s P\u00e1lsd\u00f3ttir<\/a><\/p>\n

Drawing on Iceland<\/a>‘s extensive network of public geothermal pools, SOAK investigates how these spaces have shaped everyday life across the country. The exhibition considers bathing<\/a> facilities not only as recreational amenities but also as forms of public infrastructure that support informal encounters, shared rituals, and community life. Presented through spatial installations, visual narratives, and research-based material, the project explores the relationship between water<\/a>, architecture<\/a>, and public space<\/a>. Rather than focusing on architecture as a static object, the exhibition aims to examine how built environments can facilitate social interaction and collective experiences.<\/p>\n

\"IcelandicVo\u0308k Baths by Basalt Architects. Image \u00a9 Martijn Veenman<\/a><\/p>\n

The project takes inspiration from Iceland’s bathing culture, recognized by UNESCO<\/a> as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Enabled by access to naturally heated water, geothermal pools have become a defining feature of communities throughout Iceland<\/a>, serving as gathering spaces while often acting as significant architectural landmarks. <\/p>\n

Related Article “Do Architecture”: Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu Announce Theme and Title for 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale<\/a> <\/p>\n

According to curator Marcos Zotes<\/a>, the exhibition seeks to expand architectural discussions beyond the production of buildings, focusing instead on the social relationships and collective experiences that architecture can support. By framing the pavilion<\/a> as a site for reflection on everyday life, SOAK explores how public infrastructure can function simultaneously as a practical necessity and a catalyst for community formation.<\/p>\n

\"IcelandicThe multidisciplinary exhibition team behind \u201cSOAK: Rituals of Collective Belonging,\u201d Iceland\u2019s entry for the 20th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Pictured from left to right: Marcos Zotes, Nils Wiberg, Krist\u00edn Eva \u00d3lafsd\u00f3ttir, Hr\u00f3lfur Karl Cela, Perla D\u00eds Kristinsd\u00f3ttir, R\u00e1n Flygenring. Image \u00a9 Aldi\u0301s P\u00e1lsd\u00f3ttir<\/a><\/p>\n

The exhibition team brings together expertise from architecture<\/a>, exhibition design<\/a>, and visual storytelling. Basalt Architects<\/a> partners Hr\u00f3lfur Karl Cela, Marcos Zotes<\/a>, and Perla D\u00eds Kristinsd\u00f3ttir contribute the project’s architectural framework, drawing on the practice’s experience working with Iceland’s geothermal landscapes, including the Blue Lagoon. Exhibition design is developed in collaboration with Gagarin’s Krist\u00edn Eva \u00d3lafsd\u00f3ttir and Nils Wiberg, whose work integrates visual communication, interactive media, and spatial design. Artist, author, and illustrator R\u00e1n Flygenring adds a narrative dimension to the project, informed by her ongoing exploration of Icelandic swimming culture.<\/p>\n

\"IcelandicIceland\u2019s National Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. Image \u00a9 Ugo Carmeni<\/a><\/p>\n

SOAK: Rituals of Collective Belonging will be presented as part of the 20th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia<\/a>, curated by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu<\/a> under the theme Do Architecture \u2014 The Possibility of Coexistence in the Face of Real Reality<\/a>. The exhibition will be held from May 8 to November 21, 2027. <\/p>\n

We invite you to check out ArchDaily’s comprehensive coverage of the 2027 Venice<\/a> Biennale.<\/a><\/p>\n