The Venice Architecture Biennale remains one of the world’s most significant cultural events. Rolex continues to be its main sponsor, reaffirming its long-term vision of supporting excellence in design and responsible innovation.

For this 19th edition, the Swiss watchmaker – Exclusive Partner and Official Timekeeper of the event since 2014 – has entrusted the design of its new pavilion to Mariam Issoufou Kamara, an internationally renowned architect and leading voice in sustainable architecture. The true heart of the project lies in the choice of materials and creative partners.
A beautiful documentary tells the story of the project’s origins and the entire construction process that gave life to this new symbolic space, where suppliers take centre stage and are portrayed in their daily work and within the production chain.
An immersive story that takes the viewer into the heart of the Murano furnace, where the skilled gestures of the artisans give shape to the glass sky of the pavilion, a luminous and contemporary reinterpretation of the iconic features of the fashion house. Discover the project.

«I didn’t design something and then look for the best craftsmen to make it; I did the exact opposite,», says architect Mariam Issoufou Kamara, who honoured us with a visit to Vistosi and our kiln in April 2024.

In this context, glass – handcrafted using techniques handed down from generation to generation – becomes a living architectural element, capable of refracting natural light and transforming space with a material poetry that is perfectly in tune with the theme of the Biennale: Intelligent. Natural. Artificial. Collective.
Inside the Rolex pavilion, visitors will also find two iconic boutiques, including the Tokyo flagship store designed by Curiosity, the Japanese studio founded in 1998 by French designer Nicolas Gwenaël.

Once again, a project that celebrates the harmony between technology, luxury and craftsmanship, using material samples and videos to illustrate the construction process that makes attention to detail a distinctive feature.

The collaboration between Vistosi and Nicolas Gwenaël was one of the highlights of the latest edition of Euroluce, during which the designer presented LINK, his first lamp collection.

This eloquent gesture confirms the Venetian company’s ability to attract internationally renowned designers, establishing itself as the ideal partner to bring new visions to light – literally.

“Link is not just a collection. It is a reflection on the relationship between matter and absence, between the visible and the invisible”, explains Nicolas Gwenaël. “Just as glass and light work together to create beauty, so too can opposites – the physical and the emotional, the digital and the real – merge in profound harmony. It is a symbol of unity, an inspiration.”

A growing international role
Through these collaborations, Vistosi consolidates its presence at the Venice Architecture Biennale, a key event for affirming its role in bringing together Venice and the world, glass and design, light and thought.

Vistosi had already presented some important works at theVenice Architecture Biennale in 2023.

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Read a wonderful article from La Repubblica here, or access the complete press review or the complete Press Review.

Discover the special SKY ARTE Euroluce 2025: Interview with Nicolas Gwenaël

Biography of Nicolas Gwenaël

Born in Brittany in 1966, Nicolas Gwenaël graduated in Interior Design from the École Supérieure d’Arts Graphiques (E.S.A.G.) in Paris, before completing a Master’s degree in Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art in London. In 1991, he moved to Tokyo, where he began his career working with Water Studio and Issey Miyake, designing interiors and perfumes, including the famous ‘Le Feu d’Issey’.

In 1998, he founded Curiosity, a multidisciplinary studio operating in the fields of interior design, architecture and product design. His style combines functionality, aesthetics and innovation, translating materials and shapes into sophisticated sensory experiences. His work is internationally recognised for its ability to combine modernity and culture, technology and craftsmanship. Over the years, he has collaborated with prestigious brands such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Issey Miyake and SENSAI, designing boutiques and flagship stores around the world. His most notable projects include the WA House and the Rolex Ginza Flagship Store, emblems of an elegant and refined formal language that is always attentive to the cultural context. In product design, he has created iconic objects such as the Game Boy Advance for Nintendo and the packaging for Swarovski’s Aura perfume.

In 2015, he was named one of the 50 most influential French people in the world by Vanity Fair, and since 2014, he has been included in the Business of Fashion’s BOF 500 list.

He has also received awards such as the prestigious Ku/Kan Prize, Japan’s highest award for interior design.