Until November 23, 2025, Venice hosts one of the most fascinating events for those who love contemporary architecture: ALPS. ARCHITECTURE. SOUTH TYROL. , the great exhibition dedicated to the South Tyrolean architectural panorama, set up in the refined spaces of Palazzo Cavanis, along the Zattere. The exhibition, organized by Kunst Meran Merano Arte in collaboration with the South Tyrolean Architecture Foundation and the Südtiroler Künstlerbund, is part of the calendar of events parallel to the 19th International Architecture Biennale, offering the international public an in-depth look at a territory that in recent years has become a laboratory of ideas, experimentation and virtuous dialogues between landscape and design.
Curated by architect Filippo Bricolo, the exhibition presents a unique selection of architectures built in South Tyrol between 2018 and 2024. Not a simple list of works, but a real critical inventory, born after a long territorial reconnaissance and over 240 applications evaluated by an international jury. The final selection includes 28 main projects and 28 special mentions, updating the framework of Alpine architecture with a profoundly contemporary approach.
An architectural journey into the heart of the Alps
One of the strengths of the exhibition is its ability to tell the story of South Tyrol through an architectural language that is rooted in tradition, but looks ahead with sustainable solutions and innovative visions. The works on display embrace central themes such as conscious reuse, attention to the landscape, responsible planning, the relationship between memory and new functions, the evolution of wine architecture and the ability to dialogue with historic urban contexts.
The different thematic sections show a multifaceted world: from “Reflective Reuse“, where ancient buildings find new life through respectful and contemporary interventions, to “Urban Evocations” that explore the relationship between design and city fabric; from “Architettura naturans“, in which nature becomes a design matrix, to “Participatory Topography“, which tells of buildings capable of integrating with complex slopes and geomorphologies.
The itinerary is completed by sections dedicated to poetic interiors, art and architecture interventions and projects that investigate a “plausible vernacular”, reinterpreting tradition with contemporary elegance.
An international success at the heart of the Biennale
The presence of the exhibition in Venice has generated strong international interest: this is evidenced by the visit of 45 architects from Germany and Switzerland, who were impressed by the quality and variety of South Tyrolean projects and the scenic setting of Palazzo Cavanis. Many of them expressed the desire to visit South Tyrol to learn more about the architectures presented.
According to Georg Klotzner, president of Kunst Meran Merano Arte, this exhibition represents “a valuable opportunity to introduce a global audience to the liveliness and responsibility of South Tyrolean architecture”, helping to generate cultural dialogues that transcend regional borders.
An installation that speaks to the visitor
The experience of the exhibition is made even more evocative by the set-up, designed as an immersive environment: wooden modules and honeycomb cardboard panels occupy the central space, leaving the walls empty to stimulate attention to the initial question that guides the project: is there such a thing as South Tyrolean architecture?
A question that runs through the entire narrative and invites the visitor to build a personal answer.
The experience is completed by the fascinating artcontainer “I WISH YOU…” by Wil-ma Kammerer, presented at Spazio Thetis and characterized by black containers decorated with stylized skies: a symbolic work that accompanies the exhibition for the duration of the Biennale.
An event not to be missed
In Venice, until November 23, 2025, ALPS. ARCHITECTURE. SOUTH TYROL. represents a unique opportunity to discover how contemporary architecture can become a tool for dialogue, enhancement of the territory and cultural innovation. An exhibition that not only tells the story of a territory through its works, but invites us to reflect on the role of architecture in our shared future.
INFO: Kunst Merano Arte
PHOTO COURTESY: Luka Bagnoli
