Unveiling at the 2025 COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, AquaPraça is a groundbreaking floating cultural plaza designed by Carlo Ratti Associati and Höweler + Yoon. Envisioned as a sculptural void carved into the sea, the 400-square-meter platform will host over 150 people, serving as the centerpiece of Italy’s national pavilion.
Equipped with real-time sensors and adaptive buoyancy systems, AquaPraça responds dynamically to rising sea levels and changing occupancy—an architectural embodiment of climate resilience. Inspired by Aldo Rossi’s 1979 Teatro del Mondo, it reimagines the role of built space as an active participant in environmental discourse.
Constructed by Cimolai in Italy, the platform will debut at COP30 and remain in the Amazon basin as a lasting landmark for cultural and climate exchange.
AquaPraça reflects a growing movement toward responsive, ecologically integrated architecture. By harmonizing with environmental forces instead of resisting them, it sets a bold precedent for future design in the age of climate change.
