Master Builders – The Slovenian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale
Master Builder: one who is able to do something well, usually in a skilled or professional manner
In the context of the central theme of the Venice Architecture Biennale, Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective., the authors of the Slovenian Pavilion — Kosi and Partners, with curators Ana Kosi and Ognen Arsov — highlight the expertise, techniques and skills of master builders as an integral and irreplaceable part of architectural production, thereby repositioning the role of construction workers in the process of making architecture. They explore contemporary architecture by shifting attention away from completed architectural objects toward the act of making itself: construction on the building site. The question is whether this shift in focus can contribute to a new understanding of contemporary architecture.
On the one hand, good architecture embodies art, engineering, invention, tectonics, materiality, tactility and atmosphere. On the other hand, its materialisation occurs through physically raw and intense labour, on loud, dirty, hardcore construction sites. The ethereal aura we often attribute to architectural works stands in stark contrast to the process of their making.
The nature of the contemporary architect’s profession is gradually distancing itself from active engagement with construction. This is influenced by the increasing burden of complex bureaucratic procedures, advanced digital design tools that aim to maximise project control before construction begins, and a way of thinking about architecture as a formal object without consideration of its technical realisation. Yet distancing architects from the construction process contradicts the very essence of the profession. The word “architect” derives from the Ancient Greek architekton, where archi means “principal” or “leading,” and tekton means “builder.” The term architekton thus refers to the chief master builder. The core of the architect’s profession originates in his or her active role on the building site.
Today, the construction site is the place where the abstract world of AutoCAD or BIM, Excel spreadsheets, coordination emails, tenders and negotiations meets the reality of building. An analysis of contemporary Slovenian construction sites clearly shows that construction remains heavily dependent on human labour and the know-how of the people who build. At the same time, the construction industry, and consequently architecture, are facing a critical shortage of skilled master builders whose expertise is essential for translating a design into a high-quality architectural work.
Given the current situation, the construction industry aims to follow the trends of digitalisation, robotisation and mechanisation, seeking to solve the “labour problem” by removing workers from the building process as much as possible. In this idealised scenario, all human-related challenges on the construction site — insufficiency, unreliability, execution errors, illness — would supposedly be eliminated. Yet on contemporary construction sites, it is precisely the human factor, with its creative capacity, that proves to be essential. The importance of the manual skills of master builders, much of which cannot be replaced, has once again become evident. This insight shows that the most valuable dimension of their work is not, and never has been, merely manual skill, but also intellectual understanding. It reveals how much “intelligence,” or “tacit knowledge,” is embedded in construction practices and professions that have traditionally been regarded as purely physical.
The tacit knowledge of the master builder on site is rooted in the specific connection between the physical movement of the hand (or the whole body) and the parallel act of thinking about what is being done. This knowledge becomes increasingly embodied through experience and gradually shifts into the subconscious, which is why we often describe it simply as “a feeling.”
As Richard Sennett writes in The Craftsman, the master builder continually explores the dimensions of their skill, dedication and judgement in a unique way through their work. The interplay of physical and intellectual effort works best when it demonstrates, in a resourceful and practical manner, how something should be made and how problems can be solved. For master builders, there is a specific desire to create something material and present — something they can identify with and ultimately regard as their own. This identification with the object of construction, the masterful attitude toward work, and the autonomous solving of problems are distinctly human qualities — ones that 3D printers, robots and computers do not have. And it is precisely this autonomous, creative human factor that proves to be essential for the development of construction and architecture.
SPATIAL INSTALLATION AT THE ARSENALE
The Slovenian Pavilion in the Arsenale consists of four totems representing a family of master builders from the construction site, accompanied by a large-format documentary video showing the process of their making. A totem is a spiritual being, object or symbol that serves as an emblem of a particular group, tribe or community. The totems on display are constructed and executed as a physical manifestation of masterful knowledge and skills.
The construction of the totems was a key part of the Slovenian Pavilion, which explores the relationship between architect – master builder – architecture through an experimental process. The totems were designed using standard architectural planning methods and tools. The design of their individual elements was derived from the making and building techniques found on contemporary construction sites. They were executed on the basis of drawings, specifications and a technical report, and their construction was accompanied by ongoing communication between architects and master builders.
The placement of the totems in the Arsenale responds to the space while also establishing interactions between them. By embodying the transfer of masterful knowledge from the abstract and invisible into the concrete and tangible, they highlight specific skills and open up space for their reflection within the broader architectural discourse. Each totem is rooted in the characteristics of actual master builders; however, once installed in the pavilion, they do not function merely as representations of particular individuals. Rather, they stand as monuments to mastery itself—transcending any single person and remaining open to new stories, interpretations and associations.
“To successfully realise architecture, we need a good team of architects and designers, a supportive client, a contract with a high-quality construction company, experienced site supervision, favourable political will, a cycle of affordable building material prices, and an accessible loan. Yet within this general formula, one key element is often overlooked when it comes to ‘sharing credit’ for well-built architecture. These are the skilled master builders, who construct the building on site with their knowledge, their determination, and with their own hands.”
— Ognen Arsov, curator and architect
You are warmly invited to visit the Venice Architecture Biennale and see the Slovenian Pavilion on view until 23 November 2025!
A catalogue titled Master Builders has also been published as part of the pavilion, edited by Ana Kosi and Ognen Arsov with collaborators. The catalogue is conceived as a textual and visual document of the experimental construction process and offers an in-depth extension of the pavilion’s curatorial concept.
Exhibition — Authors and Contributors
Curators: Ana Kosi, Ognen Arsov
Commissioner: Maja Vardjan
Assistant to the Commissioner: Nikola Pongrac
Curators’ Assistants: Žiga Rošer, Blaž Šenica
Project Team: Valentina Tina Božak, Teodora Petrushevikj, Jakob Marčič, Urša Koželj, Nik Štrubelj
Graphic Design: Studio Nejc Prah
Advisors: Boštjan Vuga, Jeff Bickert
Video:
Rok Kajzer Nagode – Director and Director of Photography
Dominik Mencej – Editor
Andraž Žigart – Additional Cinematography
Film Production: Kolektiv 96
Installation Coordination in Venice: Eiletz | Ortigas Architects
Public Relations: Manca Košir
Marketing: Ana Kandare
Producer: Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO)