The theme of the Spanish Pavilion at the 2025 Biennale — balance — was a difficult one to experience, and deliberately so. Caught between the perpetual dilemma of doing good in one place only to do harm in another, the exhibition offered a stark reminder: the construction industry stands on a precarious edge.

Construction and deconstruction are intrinsically linked. The clay tile or timber we celebrate in sustainable design must be sourced from somewhere — impacting habitats, ecosystems, and even local climates along the way.

The exhibit displayed a series of beautifully crafted scale models. Each set positioned a building section on one side of a balance, with a small maquette representing the material’s origin on the other. This quietly powerful gesture reminded us that materials are never neutral — they come from somewhere, often far away — and that choosing locally and responsibly sourced materials can have real, positive impact.

The models were accompanied by drawings and photographs, all elegantly presented in timber frames that mirrored the exhibition’s message. The red-brick pavilion housing it all — now partially cloaked in ivy and gently merging with its surroundings — felt like a fitting container for this reflection on consequence, context, and care.