Architect Dalia Hamati to curate UAE pavilion at Venice Biennale — The National
Architect Dalia Hamati will curate the United Arab Emirates pavilion at the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale in Italy. Her exhibition will focus on the UAE’s relationship with water, historical practices of its use, and opportunities to apply this experience amid a warming climate.
As The National reports, Hamati was selected through an open competition. Her project will combine the history of the UAE, atmospheric sciences, and ecological design.
An exhibition about water and architecture
The exhibition will examine how water has shaped communities, from the selection of settlement locations to the creation of water distribution systems. It will run from May 8 to November 21, 2027, at the UAE’s permanent pavilion in the Sale d’Armi at the Arsenale in Venice.
The exhibition’s title and design are still being developed, and organizers plan to announce additional details in January. Hamati also intends to explore Venice’s relationship with water, including the city’s environmental challenges and historical practices.
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Dalia Hamati’s experience
Dalia Hamati was born in Sharjah in 1984, studied at the University of Bath and Columbia University, and also worked at the New York-based firm Ennead Architects. She now lives in Dubai, runs an independent architecture and design practice, and teaches at the American University of Sharjah.
In her research, the architect examines traditional ways of adapting buildings to the local climate. Such examples include areesh structures made of date palms, wind towers, and dense development that created shade in passageways between houses.
Hamati has previously collaborated with the UAE National Pavilion in Venice: in 2021, she worked with Waiwai studio on the accompanying initiative A Bench in Venice. That same year, the exhibition Wetland, created by Waiwai for the UAE pavilion, won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation. In 2027, the UAE will take part in the Architecture Biennale for the seventh time.
