Architecture studio MAD has created a canopy that reinterprets traditional Chinese oil-paper umbrellas at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale.
Appropriately named Chinese Paper Umbrella, the installation is defined by a draping form that serves as a sheltered outdoor space beside the China Pavilion, also designed by the studio.
MAD created the installation using Xuan paper coated with layers of tung oil to create a “breathable” envelope that is also weather-resistant.
MAD has created the Chinese Paper Umbrella installation at Venice Architecture Biennale
“Venice’s maritime climate brings moderate shifts between day and night temperatures, and its weather is often unpredictable, alternating between strong sun, sudden rain, and occasionally strong winds,” the studio said.
“Stepping beneath the umbrella feels like entering an intimate open-air theatre, where visitors are immersed in shifting light and subtle atmospheric changes,” it added.
“Visitors experience shifting patterns of light and shadow, along with a subtle difference in temperature between inside and out.”
It is made from oil-coated paper
The installation is anchored in place by a large steel frame, from which the translucent paper drapes down to create a sloping enclosure.
Gaps at its base and a slits in the envelope help to ventilate the space, while a large opening serves as an entrance.
Inside, the Chinese Paper Umbrella houses an open, lofty space equipped with wooden stools. A built-in misting system at the top of the structure is activated on hot days to help cool it.
A large central light responds to changes in daylight within the umbrella, emitting a warm, colourful glow at night.
“As light moves across the oiled paper, the umbrella becomes a pavilion of shadow and glow, reflecting the rhythms of day and night,” MAD explained.
A misting system helps cool the enclosure
Positioned on site in the Arsenale until the end of the Venice Architecture Biennale in November, the installation is expected to weather over time, according to MAD.
“Over time, the oil paper will naturally yellow, wear, and slowly degrade with weather and sunlight,” the studio said. “Its gradual disappearance underscores the structure’s impermanence and offers a poetic reflection on how architecture and the natural world might coexist in thoughtful response to our changing climate.”
A large light responds to changes in daylight
Alongside Chinese Paper Umbrella, this year’s China Pavilion contains an exhibition called Co-Exist, curated by MAD to explore how traditional Chinese culture is being reinterpreted by emerging Chinese architects.
Other installations on show at the Biennale include Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s Canal Cafe, which serves up coffee made from the city’s canal water, and its translucent library.
The photography is courtesy of MAD.
The Venice Architecture Biennale takes place from 10 May to 23 November 2025. See Dezeen Events Guide for all the latest information you need to know to attend the event, as well as a list of other architecture and design events taking place around the world.
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