Icelandic Pavilion Explores Bathing Culture as Civic Infrastructure at the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale

Written by Reyyan Dogan
Published on June 10, 2026

The Icelandic Pavilion at the 20th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia will present SOAK: Rituals of Collective Belonging, an exhibition examining Iceland's bathing culture through the lens of architecture, public space, and social interaction. Commissioned by Halla Helgadóttir, Iceland Design and Architecture, the project is curated by Marcos Zotes, partner at Basalt Architects, and developed through a multidisciplinary collaboration between Basalt Architects, design studio Gagarin, and artist Rán Flygenring. SOAK marks the second Icelandic participation in the Architecture Biennale selected through an open call process, following Lavaforming by s.ap architects, which represented Iceland at the 2025 edition.

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Drawing on Iceland's extensive network of public geothermal pools, SOAK investigates how these spaces have shaped everyday life across the country. The exhibition considers bathing facilities not only as recreational amenities but also as forms of public infrastructure that support informal encounters, shared rituals, and community life. Presented through spatial installations, visual narratives, and research-based material, the project explores the relationship between water, architecture, and public space. Rather than focusing on architecture as a static object, the exhibition aims to examine how built environments can facilitate social interaction and collective experiences.

The project takes inspiration from Iceland's bathing culture, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Enabled by access to naturally heated water, geothermal pools have become a defining feature of communities throughout Iceland, serving as gathering spaces while often acting as significant architectural landmarks.

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According to curator Marcos Zotes, the exhibition seeks to expand architectural discussions beyond the production of buildings, focusing instead on the social relationships and collective experiences that architecture can support. By framing the pavilion as a site for reflection on everyday life, SOAK explores how public infrastructure can function simultaneously as a practical necessity and a catalyst for community formation.

The exhibition team brings together expertise from architecture, exhibition design, and visual storytelling. Basalt Architects partners Hrólfur Karl Cela, Marcos Zotes, and Perla Dís Kristinsdóttir contribute the project's architectural framework, drawing on the practice's experience working with Iceland's geothermal landscapes, including the Blue Lagoon. Exhibition design is developed in collaboration with Gagarin's Kristín Eva Ólafsdóttir and Nils Wiberg, whose work integrates visual communication, interactive media, and spatial design. Artist, author, and illustrator Rán Flygenring adds a narrative dimension to the project, informed by her ongoing exploration of Icelandic swimming culture.