Towards a New Architecture of Adaptation

Today in Madrid, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Carlo Ratti, Curator of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, in the presence of the Italian Ambassador to Madrid, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, launched a new Manifesto for the future of architecture titled: Intelligens: Towards a New Architecture of Adaptation.

The Manifesto, which has already received widespread support from the participants in the Biennale Architettura 2025, is now open for public endorsement.

Southern Europe, including Spain, has been disproportionately affected by climate change — experiencing rising temperatures, severe droughts, and catastrophic inundations. One recent example are the dramatic floods in Valencia in October 2024, images of which have circulated globally. In this context, the manifesto argues that architecture must take on a more urgent role: focusing not only on mitigation (i.e. contributing to reduce emissions), but also adaptation (i.e. helping our built environments to withstand the impact of climate change).

The same theme is at the heart of the Biennale Architettura 2025, which opens in Venice next month (10 May - 23 November 2025). While continuing its role of showcasing and celebrating architects from around the world, this year’s Biennale Architettura also serves as a call to action. While this will be mainly visible via the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, Ratti also engaged in a conversation with National Participations - 66 pavilions from across the globe – inviting them to respond to the prompt “One Place, One Solution,” to present architectural ideas for adaptation.

Carlo Ratti commented: "The message of Biennale Architettura 2025 is urgent: the built environment must adapt to an altered planet. Architecture, then, is no longer just about form—it is about survival. To meet this challenge, it must adapt itself, drawing on every form of intelligence we possess: natural, artificial, and collective. We will explore this at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2025, with over 750 participants: architects and engineers, mathematicians and climate scientists, philosophers and artists, chefs and coders, writers and woodcarvers, farmers and fashion designers — and many more."

Following Prime Minister Sánchez’s signature, the Manifesto enters a phase of open circulation. Many participants in the Biennale Architettura 2025 have already added their names to the call, and it is now open to architects, researchers, students, and citizens worldwide. 

The full text of Carlo Ratti’s Manifesto Intelligens: Towards a New Architecture of Adaptation is available at the link https://podio.com/webforms/30263179/2541717