How can lagoon water become coffee? The Canal Café Project at the 2025 Biennale

At the Arsenale, among the pavilions of the 2025 Architecture Biennale, the Canal Café by New York-based studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro stands out as one of the most talked-about – and awarded – installations of the edition. Located at the far end of the complex, in direct dialogue with the lagoon waters, this small pavilion transforms the daily ritual of coffee into a symbolic and political act. The simple gesture of drinking an espresso here becomes an invitation to reflect on water resources, the climate crisis, and the possible futures of coastal cities. The water used to prepare the beverages, in fact, comes directly from Venice’s canals: it is extracted, purified, and then served to visitors in the form of coffee.

Technology and nature for drinkable water

At the heart of the project, which began in 2008 and was developed with engineering firms Natural Systems Utilities and SODAI, is a hybrid system combining biofiltration and technology. The water first passes through a micro-wetland with halophytic plants, capable of retaining impurities while preserving mineral salts, before undergoing reverse osmosis and UV sterilisation to ensure potability. The result is a certified, transparent, and safe water, transformed into espresso under the supervision of chef Davide Oldani, who was tasked with defining the aromatic balance to evoke a distinctly Venetian flavour. The transparency of the entire process – visible in real-time by visitors – is an integral part of the experience: a theatrical rendering of sustainability as a shared and understandable act.