Biennale Architettura 2012 : Common Ground

Biennale Architettura

The Venice Biennale made its debut in 1895, with International Art Exhibition. In the 1930s new festivals were born: Music, Cinema, and Theatre. In 1980, the first architecture exhibition took place and subsequently, the dance festival began in 1999. This year's Architecture Biennale consists of 119 participants invited by the artistic director and complemented by 55 countries. 

Artistic Director

The artistic director of Venice's 2012 Architecture Biennale is David Chipperfield. He had worked in the practices of Richard Rogers and Norman Fosters. He now has his own practice and is also a Visiting Professor of Architectural Design at Yale University. (Source: http://www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/director/) His works include BBC Scotland at Pacific Quay and Berlin's Neues Museum (for which he won European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award in 2011).

Theme

This year's theme is 'Common Ground' and aims to "illustrate common and shared ideas that form the basis of an architectural culture". Chipperfield hopes to highlight the "concerns of continuity, context and memory, towards shared influences and expectations, and to address the apparent lack of understanding that exists between the profession and society." At the same time, Chipperfield does not want to focus only on starchitects and instead wants to show the collaboration between "the many stakeholders and participants in the process of building" and to find "shared ideas from our individual positions of difference." (Source: http://www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/exhibition/chipperfield/)

In the pavilions, there are exhibits on construction site as a common ground of diverging interests and exhibits which show the collaborations between 5 generations of architects, teachers and students, architects and professionals of other mediums.

Singapore Pavilion

It is not here! I had written to SIA earlier to volunteer for 1 month at the Singapore Pavilion. To my disappointment, SIA's executive director, Mr Ong Chin Cheow (kindly) informed me that the institute would not be taking part this year. 

My favourite exhibits

I managed to visit the pavilions in both Arsenale and Gardini, the Hong Kong and Taiwan pavilions (in the same spots as they were previously) on the first 2 days they opened to the public. The pro of attending the exhibition so early are - the exhibits still look new (and not manhandled by the public) and there were theatrical and music performances that only take place on the initial days. The cons are - it is still too hot in summer and some of the video installations are not ready. Nonetheless, it was, as usual, slightly overwhelming, sometimes incomprehensible and mostly, so much to learn.

Zaha Hadid Architects/ Patrik Schumacher

For me, they have the most fascinating exhibits. It is not because it is Hadid's works but because it shows the researches behind the designs. 

A gigantic floral metallic structure greets the visitors as they enter the hall. This installation is called Arum (a type of flower), which Chipperfield had requested Hadid to showcase. Next to Arum are shell-like roof models. Arum reminds me of Gaudi while the models of Arum reminds me of origami.

Arum

Arum paper study model

Arum is meant to be "a line of continuity with the great masters of thin shell and tensile structures like Felix Candela and Heinz Isler". If you look closely, Arum is far from being a "finalised" product. It is, however, still impressive.

Roof shell models

Studies on shells

Both Arum and the shell roofs are results from studies on shells. The studies on shells made by Hadid's students at Vienna's Institute of Architecture are proudly on display. 

Shell roof model

At the same time, there are videos on BLOCK Research Group's study on the forces on the shell roofs and how Arum was produced and installed - collaborations that made everything possible.

Seen in Il giornale dell' Architettura (they actually put these in print?! - phwahahahahaha): 

O'Donnell and Tuomey - Vessel

In creating "Vessel" for the biennale, Sheila O'Donnell and John Tuomey tries to find a common ground between poetry, art and architecture. They also want the large scale model to make reference to the brick walls of the Arsenale, the exhibition venue.

Eisenman Architects/ Dogma/ Jeffrey Kipnis/ Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture/ Yale University School of Architecture - The Piranesi variations

4 teams use Piranesi's Campo Marzio drawing as a basis, reinterpret and re-imagine and come up with new models. I like Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture for their model, which resembles a still video game.

Can you see the similarities between Ohio State U's model and Yale's model?

Gort Scott/ Robert McKillop/ Renzo Piano Building Workshop - London Streets and Skies

The common ground is the Shard. McKillop's film shows the Shard, the highest building in Europe, dominating the skyline - at times on its own and at times, with the other controversial building, the Gerkhin. Scott, on the other hand, sketches the high street at the foot of the Shard. I love the details in her perspectives.

Herzog & de Meuron - Elbphiharmonie

In 2001, the vision for a new concert hall to be built on top of an existing warehouse, Kaispeicher A, was introduced. In this exhibit, Herzog & de Meuron presents large scale models and newspaper cuttings that document the conflicts between the owner, contractor and architects since the first announcement. This topic is close to work and just too amusing to me, as an outsider, as the drama unfolds and the project is now slated to complete in 2015. (Boy, aren't they honest!)

Norman Foster/ Andreas Gursky/ Ben Johnson/ John Nye/ Marisa González/ Elena Ochoa Foster/ Antonio Sanz/ Katy Harris/ Spencer de Gray - Hongkong and Shanghai Bank HQ

The room shows early sketches of the HSBC Bank Building, a model, videos by González on the Filipono maids who share the building on weekends and paintings by Johnson. Again, this topic strikes a cord as Hong Kong is my third home and the story of the Filipinas' rest days in foreign countries are familiar.

Details Details!

Other noteworthy exhibits

Australia - Formations: New Practices in Australian Architecture

Ateliers Jean Nouvel/ Mia Hägg/ Habiter Autrement - Meeting lines 

An entry which did not win a master planning competition in Slussen. The proposal hoped to turn the bridges into public grounds. The pink bridge, for example, has 3 levels: shops, restaurants and terraces on the upper level, roads on the mid-level and pedestrian pathway and bicycle lane on the lower level. 
Argentina - Argentina: identidad en la diversidad

Illustration by Miguel Rep

Norman Foster/ Carlos Carcas/ Charles Sandison/ Fernando Pocostales/ Elena Ochoa Foster/ Antonio Sanz/ Katy Harris/ Spencer de Gray - Gateway

Il giornale dell' Architettura calls this the "most obnoxious" exhibit - you be the judge:

"Fun" exhibits

Spain - SPAINLab

Cyprus - REVISIT - customizing tourism

Haworth Tompkins - Inhabitable models

The paintings were borrowed from Young Vic Theatre, London

Others

There are simply too many exhibits to incorporate into this entry - those of Álvaro Siza (who has won the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Biennale Architettura this year), Grafton Architects (who won the Silver Lion this year), Kazuyo Sejima (Biennale Architettura 2010's artistic director), Toyo Ito, Luigi Snoozi, Candida Höfer, Armin Linke, nameless students from the 40,000 hours project...

Whatever the case, if you so visit the exhibitions in Arsenale, do not miss out the (probably) highest insured item in the whole exhibition that has its own bodyguard:

Giacometti's Femme de Venise VIII