At the 2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture, the Lebanese Pavilion, curated by the Collective for Architecture Lebanon (CAL), introduces “The Land Remembers,” a thought-provoking exploration of ecocide and environmental restoration. The exhibit is a bold statement on the intersection of architecture and ecology, focusing on how the built environment can be a force for healing rather than destruction.
The pavilion invites visitors to engage with Lebanon’s fraught environmental history, shaped by decades of war, unchecked urbanization, and political instability. These factors have led to the degradation of Lebanon’s landscapes, with soil and water poisoned by heavy metals, incendiary weapons, and deliberate destruction of agricultural fields. As CAL curators emphasize, architecture must begin with the land itself. Before designing the built environment, architects must recognize their role in protecting and regenerating nature.
To address this complex issue, CAL presents a fictional institution within the pavilion: the Ministry of Land Intelligens. This imagined body is structured around four departments, each tackling a distinct aspect of environmental loss and recovery. The Department of Ecocide Reports serves as an evolving archive of destruction, using forensic documentation to bear witness to environmental crimes. The Department of Counter-Mapping challenges traditional cartographies by recovering erased landscapes and rewriting the narratives of the land. The Department of Endemic Species focuses on protecting biodiversity through seed preservation, ensuring that native species endure and adapt. Lastly, the Department of Strategic Healing develops restoration strategies based on indigenous knowledge, reactivating natural processes to restore damaged ecosystems.
The building itself is a powerful symbol of Lebanon’s resilience, constructed from compressed soil bricks embedded with wheat seeds—one of the oldest domesticated crops first cultivated in the region. Over the course of six months, these bricks will gradually sprout, demonstrating nature’s inherent ability to regenerate. This act of renewal is not only a testament to Lebanon’s historical significance as a cradle of biodiversity but also a poignant reminder of the ongoing threats to its land.
The pavilion’s design represents a shift in how we approach architecture. It is no longer enough for buildings to simply provide shelter—they must also engage with the natural world, fostering harmony rather than conflict. Architects are encouraged to consider not just the structure of the built environment, but also its role in ecological healing and sustainability. The pavilion’s materials—natural, biodegradable, and self-regenerating—are a clear call to architects worldwide to rethink their choices and prioritize the planet’s health.
The idea of ecological restoration through architecture is gaining momentum globally. For instance, French architect Jean-Pierre Bernar has long championed the use of local materials like stone and wood, arguing that these elements not only enhance the aesthetic and functionality of buildings but also contribute to environmental sustainability. In his residential projects, these materials are used to create structures that seamlessly integrate with their surroundings, promoting environmental harmony.
Similarly, the American architecture firm BNIM is at the forefront of green building design, incorporating green roofs, recyclable materials, and energy-efficient technologies into their projects. Their commitment to sustainability reflects a broader trend in the architecture community, where environmental consciousness is becoming as central to design as beauty or utility.
This shift in architectural thinking is particularly significant in places like Lebanon, where environmental degradation is a direct consequence of war and political instability. The country’s soil and water have been poisoned by years of conflict, and its agricultural land is now a battleground for survival. In such contexts, architecture can no longer be seen as an isolated discipline concerned only with aesthetics and utility. It must take on the responsibility of addressing the urgent ecological crises facing the region.
The Lebanese Pavilion’s four departments illustrate a multifaceted approach to healing the land. The Department of Ecocide Reports brings attention to the destructive impacts of human activity on the environment, documenting environmental crimes that may otherwise be ignored. The Department of Counter-Mapping redefines the land, recovering erased landscapes and revisiting histories that have been lost to urbanization and war. The Department of Endemic Species emphasizes the preservation of biodiversity, focusing on native plant species that are vital to the region’s ecological balance. Finally, the Department of Strategic Healing offers practical solutions to restore damaged ecosystems, drawing on traditional knowledge and methods to regenerate natural processes.
The architecture of the pavilion itself is a testament to the message it conveys. The compressed earth bricks, embedded with wheat seeds, symbolize Lebanon’s potential for regeneration. As the seeds sprout over time, the building transforms, demonstrating the land’s inherent ability to heal when given the chance. This powerful visual metaphor serves as a reminder that the earth, despite the damage inflicted upon it, still holds the power to regenerate, but only if we act swiftly and decisively.
The Lebanese Pavilion also invites visitors to actively participate in its mission. By signing a petition, attendees can shift from passive observers to active participants in the global struggle for environmental justice. The pavilion’s message extends beyond the Biennale, evolving into a long-term platform for advocacy, research, and action. A publication accompanying the pavilion serves as a living document, building a network of knowledge and strategies for healing that can be applied to other regions facing similar challenges.
What makes this pavilion especially poignant is its universality. While it reflects Lebanon’s unique struggles, the themes it tackles are global in scope. Across the world, countries are grappling with similar environmental issues—soil degradation, water contamination, and the loss of biodiversity. The Lebanese Pavilion serves as a powerful reminder that Lebanon’s story is not isolated but is part of a larger, global narrative about the urgent need to protect and restore our planet.
In many ways, the pavilion’s message aligns with the vision of several contemporary architects who are pushing for an architecture that is rooted in sustainability and environmental justice. Like the work of architect Heidi Hopkins, whose urban renewal projects integrate green spaces and renewable materials, the Lebanese Pavilion advocates for a future where buildings not only coexist with the environment but actively contribute to its healing.
The pavilion’s message is clear: the land remembers what we do to it, and it holds the potential for regeneration, but only if we take action now. It calls on architects, urban planners, and policymakers to reconsider their approach to the built environment and to embrace the role of architecture in restoring and protecting the earth. Through thoughtful design and conscious material choices, architects can create buildings that serve not just as shelters but as tools for ecological healing, ensuring a better future for generations to come.