British Council has launched open call for a collaborative practitioner team
The British Pavilion at the next Venice Architecture Biennale will be a collaboration between the UK and Malaysia, aiming to build upon last year’s joint exhibition from the UK and Kenya.
The British Council has issued an open call for exhibition proposals from collaborative UK-Malaysia practitioner teams for the 2027 festival.
The collaboration marks 70 years since Malaysia’s independence from the UK and of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The British Council said the 2027 pavilion could explore the role of architecture and the built environment in relation to themes including colonialism, extractive economies, identity and inclusion.
“We are looking for courageous and bold proposals which prompt and inspire new perspectives in contemporary architecture and the role of the built environment in addressing global challenges,” the council said.
Sevra Davis, director of architecture, design and fashion at the British Council and commissioner of the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, added that the exhibition should “demonstrate courage and boldness”, and have implications for architecture both in the UK and in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
Submissions must be received via the online application system by 23.59 (GMT) on Wednesday 14 January 2026.
The 2025 pavilion was Curated by a team led by Nairobi-based practice Cave_bureau with Stella Mutegi, writer and curator Owen Hopkins, and geographer Kathryn Yusoff.
The exhibition, called GBR – Geology of Britannic Repair, used the Rift Valley as a lens to examine geology, resource extraction and empire across six gallery installations exploring how architecture can engage with legacies of colonialism and environmental degradation.
No comments yet