Home Architecture News MVRDV’s SOMBRA Pavilion Showcases Dynamic Shading at Venice Time Space Existence Exhibition 
Architecture News

MVRDV’s SOMBRA Pavilion Showcases Dynamic Shading at Venice Time Space Existence Exhibition 

Share
Share

As the 2025 edition of the Time Space Existence exhibition opens in Venice, MVRDV unveils the SOMBRA Pavilion, an innovative structure that fuses poetic homage to the sun with cutting-edge passive design. Created in collaboration with Metadecor, Airshade, and Alumet, the pavilion will remain on display at the European Cultural Centre’s Giardini Marinaressa until late autumn, showcasing a kinetic shading system that requires no electronics or motors to function.

MVRDV’s SOMBRA Pavilion Showcases Dynamic Shading at Venice Time Space Existence Exhibition 
SOMBRA Pavilion © Jaap Heemskerk

Inspired by heliodon devices traditionally used to study solar angles, SOMBRA is designed as a dynamic installation that reacts physically to sunlight. Its very name “SOMBRA” is derived from the Latin words sol (sun) and umbra (shade), capturing the pavilion’s dual identity as both a sun catcher and a shading device. The structure’s six ribbed arches, made from repurposed metal beams, correspond to the angles of the sun during the summer and winter solstices, forming a sculptural spine that anchors its unique functionality.

Each rib supports a series of triangular, perforated panels made with Metadecor’s MD Formatura screens. These panels are not just decorative; they open and close in real time in response to sunlight. In their natural resting state, the panels remain open, allowing filtered views through the structure. But when exposed to direct sunlight, they slowly close, providing cool shade to those below. The effect mimics a living, breathing organism, one that adjusts its form as the sun traverses the sky.

MVRDV’s SOMBRA Pavilion Showcases Dynamic Shading at Venice Time Space Existence Exhibition 
SOMBRA Pavilion © Jaap Heemskerk

This natural movement is powered entirely by physical forces. The technology at the heart of the system, developed by Airshade, uses small canisters hidden within the ribs of the structure. As these canisters heat under sunlight, the internal air pressure increases, inflating small airbags that activate the panels via soft-robotic mechanisms. As the airbag contracts, it works against the spring-loaded hinges of the panel to create movement, no motors, no wiring, just passive environmental response.

MVRDV’s SOMBRA Pavilion Showcases Dynamic Shading at Venice Time Space Existence Exhibition 
SOMBRA Pavilion © Jaap Heemskerk

“The climate crisis demands new ways of thinking,” explains MVRDV partner Bertrand Schippan. “SOMBRA shows how architecture can learn from nature, how buildings can respond like plants, adjusting not just to climate, but to light, comfort, and energy use.”

MVRDV’s SOMBRA Pavilion Showcases Dynamic Shading at Venice Time Space Existence Exhibition 
SOMBRA Pavilion © Jaap Heemskerk

Beyond its innovative mechanics, the SOMBRA Pavilion pays tribute to the sun through symbolic design details. The base of the pavilion is etched with a polar sun path chart, mapping the data that informed its curvature. Meanwhile, the interior arches bear the words “sun and shade” in over 200 languages, a poetic reminder that the sun’s power, and our need to find shelter from it, is a global, shared experience.

Built with support from Van Rossum Raadgevend Ingenieurs, Arup, Kersten Europe, and the AMOLF Institute, SOMBRA is more than an artistic installation, it’s a prototype for zero-operational-carbon architecture. Its ability to regulate light, heat, and airflow without electricity offers a glimpse into a future where buildings are not passive structures, but active participants in environmental stewardship.

The SOMBRA Pavilion will remain in Venice through autumn 2025 as part of Time Space Existence, with discussions underway to relocate the structure to additional international sites.

Share

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Related Articles
BIG Reimagines Dubai’s Jebel Ali Racecourse as a Walkable Eco-District
Architecture News

BIG Reimagines Dubai’s Jebel Ali Racecourse as a Walkable Eco-District

The historic Jebel Ali Racecourse in Dubai is about to undergo a significant...

Coldefy Brings a Bamboo-Cooled Urban Oasis to Venice Architecture Biennale 2025
Architecture NewsArchitecture

Coldefy Brings a Bamboo-Cooled Urban Oasis to Venice Architecture Biennale 2025

French architecture studio Coldefy will present its forward-thinking project Cool my City...

Celebrating 100 years of Art Deco
Architecture News

Celebrating 100 years of Art Deco

A century ago on April 29, 1925 in Paris, a design revolution began...

Subscribe to all newsletters

Join our community to receive the latest insights and updates!

© 2025 ParametricArchitecture. All Rights Reserved. By utilizing this website, you are consenting to our User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Statement. In compliance with the privacy laws of Turkey and the United States, we recognize and respect your rights. Please be aware that we may receive commissions for products bought through our affiliate links. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or transmission of any material from this site is strictly forbidden without prior written permission from ParametricArchitecture.

ad blocker mark

AdBlocker Detected!

Help Us Keep Our Content Free

Your support helps us continue delivering high-quality resources at no cost to you.

We’ve detected that you are using an AdBlocker. We completely understand the need for a clean browsing experience, but ads help us keep this platform running and continue providing you with high-quality content at no cost.

If you enjoy our content, please consider disabling your AdBlocker or adding our site to your whitelist. Your support allows us to create more valuable articles, tutorials, and resources for you.

Thank you for being a part of our community!