An adaptable greenhouse assembly exploring food, community and resilience in arid landscapes.

Originally commissioned for the National Pavilion UAE at the Biennale Architettura 2025, Pressure Cooker investigates the evolving relationship between architecture and food production in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), experimenting with innovative solutions at both individual and community scales. With climate change disrupting agricultural systems, traditional farming methods face mounting threats, from soil degradation to temperature extremes.


This version of the exhibition embodies a different take on the research project’s outcome: contextual greenhouse assemblies. Those assemblies, which offer various takes on the kit-of-parts, not only respond to the UAE’s hot arid climate, but also correspond to the food category that they intend to grow. In this context, the new greenhouse’s architectural vocabulary is broken down into basic elements (roof, wall, floor, tools, shade and materials). These components are mixed and matched, resulting in multiple scenarios of input, output, and assembly, expressed variably in the exhibition. The space also consists of a selection of crops that range from ones that have historical significance and are the most readily available in the UAE today, such as cucumbers. Throughout the installation, visitors are invited to reimagine the architectural components of the greenhouse and its interaction with plants and humans alike, as well as the creation of space in arid environments. This journey, complemented by video content, takes visitors through the project’s phases alongside the research team during the fieldwork and experimental phase. The Dubai iteration was developed with curatorial and design assistance from Noor Hamdan.

About National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia:

The National Pavilion UAE is an award-winning pavilion that curates untold stories about the UAE’s arts and architecture through its participation in the International Art and Architecture Exhibitions organized by La Biennale di Venezia.

In parallel with its exhibitions in Venice, the National Pavilion UAE engages with communities in the UAE to support the growth of the local cultural and creative industries, through public programming, professional opportunities and the Venice Internship program it offers.


The National Pavilion UAE is an independent non-profit organization, commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and supported by the UAE Ministry of Culture.