Chinese architects Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, founders of Hangzhou-based Amateur Architecture Studio, have been appointed curators for the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale. The duo is no stranger to the event, having previously participated in the China Pavilion in 2006, received a Special Mention for their project Decay of a Dome in Kazuyo Sejima’s 2010 exhibition, and returned for the 2016 edition curated by Alejandro Aravena.

Established in 1997, the Amateur Architecture Studio emphasizes the use of local materials and context, reflecting a commitment to sustainable and culturally relevant design. Their radical experimental approach combines recycled construction materials with innovative engineering techniques. Notable projects include the Ningbo Historic Museum and the Xiangshan Campus of the China Academy of Art, which was recognized as one of the “25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture” by The New York Times in 2021. 

Wang and Lu’s innovations have been the subject of solo shows at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen and the arc en rêve centre d’architecture in Bordeaux, among others. Their work has also been exhibited at leading institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Wang received the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2012, while the pair won the Gold Medal of the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts in 2019.

On congratulating the pair, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, president of La Biennale, stated: “Their vision, deeply rooted in the memory of places and in the knowledge of construction processes, represents today an essential voice in the international debate on architecture. . . . Their guidance will inspire broad and necessary reflection.”

The 20th Venice Architecture Biennale is set to run from May 8 to November 21, 2027.

Iain Cocks is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.