US Pavilion in Venice explores the porch as an act of generosity

US Pavilion in Venice explores the porch as an act of generosity in American architecture

A mass timber structure welcomes visitors to the United States Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The exhibition explores the porch as a powerful architectural and cultural space of welcoming, community, and imagination.

'Porch - An Architecture of Generosity.' US Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale - Photo by ©Tim Hursley.

‘Porch – An Architecture of Generosity.’ US Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale – All photos are by ©Tim Hursley.

Architecture. When you think of American architecture, skyscrapers come to mind. “Actually, we are a nation of porches, they protect us from the weather, they are the space to invite friends,” co-commissioner Peter MacKeith told Archipanic. “The porch is a threshold to understand American architecture.” Titled Porch: An Architecture of Generosity, the United States Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale features a prefabricated mass timber structure, curated art, objects and generous seating.

RELATED STORIES: Read more about the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale on Archipanic.

Given the current political and cultural climate in the US and worldwide, the pavilion conveys a powerful, humane, and inclusive message. Visitors are welcomed by a zigzagging wooden canopy with a blue-painted underside. “The structure is a contemporary take on American porches,” Marlon Blackwell Architects told Archipanic. “Rather than deal with the weight of the U-shaped building, we chose to design a ventilated, dynamic structure that appears to fly.”

In the centre of the porch, a shaded platform provides a space for dialogue and exchange around a rammed earth pit. “Revealing the ground was a key element of the design. We used soil from a Venetian brickyard to address the importance of the feeling at home,” Maura Rockcastle of Ten x Ten told Archipanic. This area will function as a stage for performances throughout the six-month Biennale period.

Within the Pavilion, fifty-four participants from the United States and its territories showcase the variety of contemporary American design. Stephen Burks Man Made curated furniture and design elements typically found on American porches. “We present the prototype of Birth, a contemporary and sustainable take on the rocking chair, the porch’s quintessential furniture. The plywood seat features two interlocking planes that compose a minimalistic design, imbued with West African values and principles,” Malika Leiper of Stephen Burk Man Made told Archipanic.

Throughout the pavilion, the studio showcases ten exquisite abstract quilted tapestries, crafted in partnership with Gee’s Bend, a small community of mostly African American women from Alabama. “The unique pieces nod to traditional craftsmanship happening on porches.” Quilting, in particular, is often a political act for African American communities, expressing their desire to ‘see and be seen,’ fostering a sense of belonging. “In today’s political and cultural climate, discussing belonging is powerful.”

In the central Oculus, Urban Design Build Studio has crafted a ‘vertical porch’ characterised by slanted walls that encircle four seating areas, encouraging visitors to engage in conversation. An exhibition named PORCH: A Library presents a carefully selected array of texts and cultural references that extend the typology into literature, philosophy, and politics.