The Vele di Scampia arrive at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale with the installation Vela Celeste: Reimagining Home, hosted in the Collective Intelligence section at the Corderie dell’Arsenale. The project, where architectural design intersects with civic participation and artificial intelligence, is presented by CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati in collaboration with the City of Naples.
Vela Celeste is the only remaining structure of the original three Vele di Scampia. In March, demolition began on the Yellow and Red Vele, marking a key milestone in the Re-Start Scampia program — the largest urban and social regeneration initiative in Naples. The kickoff was attended by Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, Deputy Mayor and Urban Planning Councillor Laura Lieto, the President of the Eighth Municipality Nicola Nardella, and representatives of the Vele Committees, symbolizing a shared commitment to change.
The Re-Start Scampia plan, funded by PNRR, PON METRO, and Periferie funds, includes the renovation of Vela Celeste and the construction of 433 new energy self-sufficient homes. The plan also incorporates urban agriculture spaces, a public park, an educational farm, a market, a preschool, and a civic center for social and cultural activities.
The Vele di Scampia, a symbol of rebirth
Designed in the late 1960s by Franz Di Salvo, the Vele envisioned a new form of collective living, with elevated walkways and shared terraces inspired by the historic urban fabric of Naples. Over time, however, the complex became a symbol of marginalization and decay.
Reimagining the complex as a living system, capable of evolving with the direct contribution of its inhabitants, revolutionizes the traditional notion of the architect as sole creator. Instead, it embraces a vision of shared and participatory creation. This approach is inspired by John Habraken’s vision of architecture as a flexible and open “support system,” advocating a participatory design method that separates the imposed structural framework from the user-designed living units.
With the installation Vela Celeste: Reimagining Home, unveiled at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati and the City of Naples launch an experimental participatory project for the rebirth of the Vele. This initiative stems from direct engagement with residents, enhanced by artificial intelligence, which translates community testimonies and ideas into visual and design proposals for the complex’s future.
Vela Celeste: Reimagining Home
At the 2025 Architecture Biennale, the project is presented as a suspended, transparent model of Vela Celeste, composed of glass elements representing the building’s floors. Within these, portraits of residents alternate with AI-generated ideas and essays by Deputy Mayor Laura Lieto, sociologist Alberto Martinelli, ETH Zurich professor Catherine de Wolf, and Maria Grazia Falciatore, Chief of Staff to the Mayor.
Curated by Carlo Ratti, the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale is themed Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective. It invites various forms of intelligence — natural, artificial, and collective — to work together in rethinking the built environment. The Latin root gens (meaning “people”) embedded in the title reflects this focus. For the first time, the exhibition features over 750 participants: architects and engineers, mathematicians and scientists, philosophers, artists, fashion designers, and more. This influx of submissions has helped uncover previously unheard voices that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Words from Laura Lieto, Deputy Mayor of Naples
“We want this work to demonstrate the value of a process that grows from the bottom up and thrives through collective participation. In this dialogue between memory and innovation, we see the full strength of a community ready to reinvent itself. Artificial intelligence becomes a tool of cohesion, capable of translating personal experiences into shared visions. The project doesn’t just propose new forms — it restores dignity and hope to the residents. Naples confirms its role as a living lab, where regeneration and inclusion go hand in hand, creating a replicable model for other contexts seeking urban rebirth. This work wouldn’t have been possible without the community’s support, especially the Vele Committee, who alongside the city administration made this rebirth — which we now present with this installation — a reality.”
Words from Carlo Ratti, Founding Partner of CRA and Curator of the 2025 Architecture Biennale
“In the 1970s, John Habraken proposed a participatory design method that separated the building’s structure (imposed from above) from the residential units (imagined from below). This project adopts a similar approach, updated with today’s tools — including artificial intelligence. This isn’t a transformation through disruption, but through gradual accumulation. We are not building with concrete, but with feedback. The question is not whether buildings can become smarter, but whether they can evolve alongside the people who inhabit them. Can AI design with us, and not just for us?”
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