MAD reimagines traditional craft with 'chinese paper umbrella' at venice biennale 2025

MAD balances technology and material intelligence

At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice, MAD presents Chinese Paper Umbrella, an outdoor installation at the China Pavilion that reflects the theme ‘Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.’ The soft, splaying structure brings the delicate form of the traditional Chinese oil paper umbrella to architectural scale, transforming it into a performative pavilion that offers rest and shelter.

The work situates itself between ancient knowledge and contemporary experimentation. It provides a microclimate within the gardens of the China Pavilion, and a demonstration of how traditional materials can evolve when paired with environmental sensing and adaptive design strategies. In this way, the installation demonstrates MAD’s interest in the emotional and experiential qualities of space, and its broader efforts to humanize technological systems through architecture.

The project remains on view at the China Pavilion through November 23rd, 2025, as part of the Venice Architecture Biennale.

images courtesy MAD

ancient chinese craft arrives in venice

Positioned in the garden near the terminus of the Arsenale exhibition route, MAD’s Chinese Paper Umbrella is at once a sculptural intervention and a space for pause. The umbrella is constructed with Xuan paper — an absorbent, fibrous material traditionally used for calligraphy — treated with multiple layers of tung oil. This process renders it both water-resistant and translucent, enabling it to withstand the maritime conditions of Venice while filtering light in ever-changing ways.

Visitors stepping beneath the Beijing-based architects‘ canopy encounter a shift in atmosphere from the Biennale beyond. Light is softened, shadows stretch and contract with the time of day, and the sensation of temperature alters as air circulates through the permeable seams of the paper. The structure’s scale retains an intimacy, inviting individuals to linger, reflect, or simply observe the rhythms of weather and daylight as they pass through the space.

the project is installed in the garden of the China Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale

a paper umbrella with Responsive Technology

Beyond its material craftsmanship, MAD incorporates contemporary environmental technologies into its Chinese Paper Umbrella. A misting system embedded at the apex of the umbrella activates in response to high temperatures, cooling the shaded area beneath and subtly amplifying the sensory qualities of the space. The integration of OPPLE Lighting’s Smart Dynamic Light (SDL) system allows the canopy to adjust to changes in light and weather. This dynamic interplay between natural and artificial systems highlights the structure’s sensitivity to its environment.

The paper surface, though treated for durability, is designed to change with time. As sun, moisture, and wind weather the material, the umbrella will gradually yellow and soften. This slow transformation is not concealed, but rather embraced as part of the design. MAD’s intention is to foreground impermanence not as decay, but as a condition of coexistence with the natural world.

MAD draws from traditional Chinese oil paper umbrellas, scaled to create a public shelter

Xuan paper is coated with tung oil to produce a durable and translucent surface

smart lighting responds to environmental changes using OPPLE’s dynamic light technology

a misting system cools the air in response to high temperatures during dry weather

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axonometric diagram

material analysis diagram

full spectrum lighting

microclimate regulation diagram

section and plan

project info:

name: Chinese Paper Umbrella

architect: MAD | @madarchitects

event: 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale Di Venezia

location: Arsenale – Magazzino Delle Cisterne, Castello 2169/F, 30122 Venice, Italy

on view: May 10th — November 23rd, 2025

photography: courtesy MAD

design team: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano, Jiang Yunyao, Zhou Rui, Yang Xuebing, He Linxi, Huang Juntao, Pan Siyi, Valentina Olivieri
lighting partner: OPPLE Lighting
structural consultant: RFR Shanghai
fabrication: Far East Façade