In Collaboration with Ciheam Bari, the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate Program
Supporters : Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale; Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Sicurezza Energetica; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
Technical Collaborators : Elettra Bordonaro, Argun Paragamyan, and Luciana Martinez, Light Follows Behaviour; Cristiano Bottino, Studio FM; Mykola Murashko, Davide Spina, Julio Ramirez, and Eren Sezer, Maestro Technologies; Corrado Curti, IngeMBP; Luca Infanti, Luca Vian, Simone Andreatta, Filippo Bellomo, and Mario Nattero, CIMOLAI; Roberto Prever and Antonio Vatta, NAOS; Ruben Pescara and Lodovica Bontempelli, NMLex; Domenico Perrotta, DP38
Spanning over 400 square meters (4,000 square feet), AquaPraça’s design literally carves public space out of the sea, creating a physical dialogue between the built environment and natural forces. The submersible structure floats using principles of equilibrium, displacement, and buoyancy. Holding and releasing water, AquaPraça constantly calibrates to maintain a minimal freeboard with the surrounding water level. The public experiences the dynamic fluctuations of sea level rise at eye level, creating new perspectives on natural and urban systems. AquaPraça lets visitors meet the sea at eye level, Its sloping surfaces and shifting levels embody a delicate equilibrium. It’s a platform, both literal and figurative, for deepening our collective understanding and experience of sea level rise and the impacts of climate change on global cities and communities.
Debuting during the Biennale Architettura in September 2025, it will then travel sustainably to Belém, where it will serve as an integral part of the Italian Pavilion at COP 30, bringing Italy’s reflections on architecture and climate action to a global audience. After the summit, the platform will remain as part of Belém’s cultural infrastructure—a lasting legacy of the conference in the Amazon.
