The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia will present Syn Architects (Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi) and The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection. Curated by Beatrice Leanza, assisted by Sara Almutlaq, the exhibition stages a living archive and interactive site to launch an alternative pedagogical platform that builds on the work of Syn Architects and the Um Slaim Collective.

Established in 2021, the Um Slaim Collective is a collaborative initiative from the Riyadh-based Syn Architects, founded by Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi, to study the displacement of Najdi architecture in central Riyadh. The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection draws together oral, visual, and experimental documentation probing the layered stories and relationships embedded in the fabric of the city to articulate novel modes of reading and imagining the built environment that are continuous with the spatial learnings of the past. In so doing, it aims to nurture a new ecosystem for architectural education in Saudi Arabia and foster transnational dialogue with generational experiences that are similarly engaging practice-led pedagogies and research-centered methodologies to address challenges related to climate change, resource management, and the social dimension of the city.

The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection expounds upon the architectural heritage of
Riyadh in relation to ecology, identity, and urban-making by advancing how local pedagogical institutions and places of knowledge can address the urgencies of a rapidly evolving world – in Saudi Arabia, the Arab region, and beyond.

A generative program of laboratorial and public sessions led by curator Beatrice Leanza and supported by Maryam AlNoaimi will contribute to and enhance spatial and urban thinking in the region while opening up transnational collaboration to inform the future school. A publication will be produced in tandem with the program to collate the outcomes for application post-Biennale Architettura 2025.

Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, Chief Executive Officer of the Architecture and Design Commission at the Ministry of Culture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia commented on the participation: “The fourth participation of Saudi Arabia at the International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, this year with The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection, illustrates our commitment to contemporary approaches in architecture that honor our heritage while addressing global challenges. By spotlighting an emerging generation of designers on a prominent international stage, we aim to inspire solutions for sustainable urban development locally and worldwide.”

Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi, Syn Architects’ partners said: “The Um Slaim School is a foundation for an alternative approach to architectural re-imagining through spatial narratives and materiality. This pavilion will invite a collective retelling of our effect on the environments we inhabit and our urban histories. Our interest lies in that symbiosis, how our values and ideas shape our world, and how the parameters of our landscapes influence that shaping.”

Beatrice Leanza, Curator said: “Our participation at the Biennale Architettura 2025 embraces the emergence of generational voices in Saudi Arabia that are reshaping spatial practices. The Um Slaim School reflects a critical shift towards participatory frameworks for urban futures and eco-social imaginaries of resilience and renewal. It endeavors to create an alternative pedagogical initiative that remains rooted in vernacular knowledge while striving to suggest new pathways for architecture’s
role and purpose in today’s world.”

The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia will present The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection from May 10 (preopening May 8 and 9) to November 23, 2025, at the Biennale Architettura 2025. This will mark Saudi Arabia’s eighth participation at the International Architecture and Art Exhibitions organized by La Biennale di Venezia. The Saudi Pavilion is located in the Arsenale and acts as a home for the Kingdom’s most innovative talent from across its regions. Cultural practitioners will use the pavilion as a hub to explore, research, and collaborate in the fields of art and architecture.

The Architecture and Design Commission is the commissioner of the National Pavilion of Saudi
Arabia for the Biennale Architettura participations. The Commission supports architects and
designers from Saudi Arabia through educational programs and initiatives to support talent and
creative thinking that reflects the Kingdom’s diverse culture.

To get to know Syn Architects and Um Slaim, visit; syn.architects and umslaimcollective.