Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Bahrain Win Golden Lions at 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale

At the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, the American firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro won the Golden Lion for best participation with their project Canal Café, which purifies Venice's canal water to make coffee for visitors. This project was developed with partners like Natural Systems Utilities, Sodai, Aaron Betsky, and Davide Oldani. The jury praised it as a showcase of Venice's role in exploring aquatic living. Bahrain took home the Golden Lion for best national pavilion for Heatwave, curated by Andrea Faraguna and designed by Mario Monotti and Alexander Puzrin, which focused on traditional cooling methods. Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler received a Silver Lion for their work, and several special mentions were awarded, including to Tosin Oshinowo and the Holy See. Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement went to Donna Haraway and the late Italo Rota.