Canal Café

During the Venice Biennale, short-term installations from various global studios regularly emerge in the Arsenale docks alongside a hydraulic crane (a technical monument from 1885 by the British engineering company Armstrong Mitchell & Company, which represents the only preserved example of its kind in the world). In recent years, one can recall Kwaeε (2023) by David Adjaye or Mapuche (2021) by Alejandro Aravena. These pavilions offered spatial experiences without additional uses (no networks or added functions were installed) or local ties, but represent the authors' current considerations about space, construction, or form.
This year, the construction of the temporary pavilion was entrusted to the New York studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which attempted to promote the idea of a non-traditional café back in 2008 (during the 11th Architectural Biennale titled Out There, when the main curator was Aaron Betsky), but due to the bureaucracy at that time, the project had to be canceled. DS+R were thus able, after seventeen years, to revive the café machine, which uses water directly from the Venetian lagoon for beverage preparation. For this project, DS+R received the main award Golden Lion for the best contribution in the international section of the 19th Architecture Biennale in Venice, where the jury highlighted the practical “demonstration of how Venice can transform into a research laboratory while also contributing to the discussion about public space in Venice.”

Canal Café draws water directly from the lagoon in the Arsenale, ultimately resulting in the best espresso in Italy with a distinct flavor of Venice. The water channels and sea lagoon are, on one hand, the main source of historical wealth and beauty of the entire city, but at the same time raise concerns about contamination and flooding, which are additionally increasing in today's era of mass tourism and climate change. Canal Café is nestled under the photogenic cloak of the city. It transforms brackish water into delicious espresso, serving as a source of Italian pleasure. Canal Café is partly a café and partly a laboratory. A hybrid system of natural and artificial purification accelerates the cleansing effects of tidal wetlands, making the canal water drinkable again. The water is pumped directly from the lagoon and passed through an “eco-machine” – a biofiltration system that removes sludge and toxins. The water is then divided into two interdependent streams: one flows through a natural membrane bioreactor, a “miniature wetland,” where halophilic plants and bacteria purify the water while retaining minerals; the other stream undergoes artificial filtration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet disinfection. Both water streams are then mixed, heated, and pushed through ground coffee, creating the espresso. The coffee blend is composed to balance the water composition and offer a unique coffee taste. The entire plumbing system is continuously monitored, tested, and maintained to ensure a constant supply of clean and safe water. Everyone is invited to taste Venetian espresso.