Sea Oasis: an artistic installation to regenerate marine ecosystems
21.11.2025
After the closing of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, the modules of the Sea Oasis installation will be converted for use in a research project by the University of Padua dedicated to the regeneration of marine ecosystems.
Co-designed by Dotdotdot together with the University of Padua’s Master’s Degree Program in Marine Biology, the Sea Oasis – Survival Architecture project, featured in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, was conceived with a regenerative design approach in service of applied research.
The installation consists of a system of 3D-printed modules inspired by natural forms created by bio-builders such as oysters. At the end of the International Architecture Exhibition, these modules will be used as devices to support the restoration of marine biodiversity by the Marine Biology research center of the University of Padua, based in Chioggia.
The modules will be immersed in the Adriatic Sea and placed near existing natural barriers, serving as colonization substrates and refuges for new communities. The immersion site was defined on the basis of data processed by an artificial intelligence model developed by Dotdotdot—part of the project exhibited at the Arsenale’s Corderie—which identified the areas most suitable for ecological restoration.
Two researchers from the University of Padua—Olivia Cassetti and Giada Riva—will conduct quarterly analyses of the repopulation of the artificial reefs, evaluating their evolution in relation to the adjacent natural ones. The goal is to understand the quantity and variety of species involved in order to improve restoration processes. The results will form the core of two research theses.
