Roca

At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, curator Carlo Ratti invites visitors to explore the theme “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.” The exhibition reflects on emerging forms of intelligence, both natural and artificial, and the possibilities they offer for the built environment. Within this framework, Roca supports two installations that examine the relationship between material, craft and innovation: “The Architecture of Virtual Water” by Miralles Tagliabue - EMBT and “Ancient Future” by Bjarke Ingels Group – BIG.

This collaboration with Benedetta Tagliabue and Bjarke Ingels is a natural continuation of Roca’s long-standing relationship with both studios – partnerships built over years of shared values, creative dialogue and commitment to innovation in design. While each installation takes a different approach, both are in line with Roca’s values of merging tradition with technology, and encouraging a deeper reflection on sustainable, intelligent design in architecture.

The Architecture of Virtual Water – EMBT

In a delicate, immersive space, Benedetta Tagliabue and her design studio EMBT present a poetic exploration of the invisible presence of water in the built environment.

Designed using recyclable and low-impact materials such as paper and cardboard, the installation embraces circularity: it has been conceived to be dismantled and reused after its presentation in Venice.

Conceived as a fluid and organic space, the exhibition guides visitors through folded forms that evoke the movement of water. The experience combines visual, auditory, and spatial elements to raise critical awareness about the environmental impact of architecture.

In line with Roca’s long-standing commitment to water stewardship, the installation calls for a shift in mindset: from viewing water as a resource to be used, to recognising it as a presence to be respected.

The installation will travel to the Roca Barcelona Gallery in 2026 to coincide with Barcelona’s designation as the World Capital of Architecture.

Ancient Future – BIG

In the monumental setting of the Arsenale, Bjarke Ingels Group presents a striking dialogue between heritage and precision engineering. At the centre of the installation is a single wooden beam – first hand-carved by Bhutanese artisans, then finished using robotic technology. This hybrid object tells the story behind the design and construction of the new Gelephu International Airport, near the Bhutan-Indian border.

“Ancient Future” embodies a convergence of human and machine intelligence, reflecting Roca’s own philosophy of integrating traditional craftsmanship with industrial innovation. The beam – both artefact and symbol – demonstrates how renewable materials like wood can bridge cultures, timelines and design languages.

Roca: Promoting cultural conversation

By sponsoring these two installations, Roca is encouraging a deeper reflection on the role of design in shaping a more thoughtful, sustainable future. Beyond materials and methods, these projects raise essential questions about how and why we build, prompting a return to fundamentals: the origin of materials, the intelligence of gesture and the importance of process.

With a quiet yet meaningful presence at the Biennale, Roca stands as a partner that values water, matter and memory, and embraces architecture as a collective responsibility.

About BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group BIG

Bjarke Ingels Group is a Copenhagen, New York, London, Barcelona, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Zurich, Bhutan and Oslo-based group of architects, designers, urbanists, landscape professionals, interior and product designers, researchers, and inventors.

Led by Bjarke Ingels, the studio is currently involved in projects throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East.

BIG’s architecture emerges out of a careful analysis of how contemporary life constantly evolves and
changes. BIG believes that by hitting the fertile overlap between pragmatic and utopia, architects can find the freedom to change the surface of our planet, to better fit contemporary life forms.

About Miralles Tagliabue – EMBT

Miralles Tagliabue - EMBT is an architecture studio founded in 1994 in Barcelona by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue. Internationally recognised, the studio is known for its innovative and contextsensitive approach, characterised by a strong poetic and social dimension.

Its most iconic projects include the Scottish Parliament, the Spanish Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010 and the restoration of the Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona. After the death of Enric Mi-ralles in 2000, Benedetta Tagliabue took over as head of the studio, consolidating a working method that combines sustainability, local identity and formal exploration.

With works realised in Europe, Asia and Latin America, EMBT approaches each project as an opportunity to connect architecture, landscape and society, always maintaining a strong commitment to responsible design and innovation.