We explore Venice Architecture Biennale’s national pavilions

Australian Pavilion The Pool By Aileen Sage Architects Amelia Holliday And Isabelle Toland With Michelle Tabet Photo Brett Boardman

Spread between the Giardini, the Arsenale and the rest of Venice, the national participations at this year's Venice Architecture Biennale map out key issues that concern the profession across the globe. Pictured: the Australian Pavilion's 'The Pool' project.

(Image credit: Brett Boardman)

By Ellie Stathaki

last updated 20 October 2022

in Features

While the Padiglione Centrale and Arsenale’s centrally curated part of the Venice Architecture Biennale is half the point (and fun) of the grand celebration, the event’s numerous national participations, spanning locations in and out of the official sites, provide the all-important global context and other half. Responding to Alejandro Aravena’s 2016 theme, 'Reporting From The Front', some 60-plus countries took part this year, presenting a show that is rich, layered and varied.

Thirty or so national participations are spread across the Arsenale complex’s various buildings and other locations across Venice, forcing the visitor to take a thoroughly welcome stroll through the magical canal city. As always, the Giardini park hosts some 30 of the biennale’s constants – including this year’s Golden Lion for Best Pavilion winner, Spain. Entitled ‘Unfinished’, the Spanish display, curated by the architects Iñaqui Carnicero and Carlos Quintáns, looks at the country’s economic and construction crisis, urging for ways to turn a difficult situation into a positive one through an attractive and thought provoking combination of design and photography.

Several more shows offer a well-planned, eye-catching installation. Australia’s ‘The Pool’ – a full scale paddling pool – was the perfect spot to relax and take on the role of one of the country’s key cultural institutions; while Belgium’s ‘Bravoure’ show depicts examples of craftsmanship within the mundane and in the context of our economically-challenged times, through full-scale mock-ups and beautiful shots by photographer Filip Dujardin.

Meanwhile, execution aside, simply by taking note of each pavilion’s chosen theme, a map of the key issues dominating architectural debate in each country soon emerges. Migration, asylum and the refugee crisis take centre stage at the German and Finnish pavilions, while the Dutch offers an arresting study in blue; an exploration of the architecture of peacekeeping missions. The Brits identify housing as their key theme. This also appears in Japan and Korea's participations – though seen through very different means and angles, adding urban density, social issues and regulatory constraints to the mix.

The US presents a series of architectural proposals for Detroit, using the North American city as a case study for their response to urban and socioeconomic issues. Greece aims to touch upon almost all of the above themes, while Denmark and the Nordic Pavilion look into their countries’ legacy and future. France investigates transformation in ordinary, everyday locations and neighbourhoods. Turkey’s Pavilion, 'Darzanà', focuses on dockyards, ports and cultural interchange between countries, represented through a fascinating deconstructed vessel, hanging from the Arsenale’s Sale d’Armi.

This was also a Biennale of firsts – the Seychelles, Nigeria, the Philippines, Yemen and a trio of Baltic countries all created debut displays for the show.

In addition, a brand new pavilion made its appearance within Giardini. Solo Galerie teamed up with Chilean architects Pezo von Ellrichshausen to create 'Vara', a deep green, labyrinthine concrete structure, nestled among the national participations – the first ever of this scale to pop up in the park.

The installation, consisting of a full scale paddling pool, was conceived by Aileen Sage Architects' Amelia Holliday and Isabelle Toland, with Michelle Tabet.

Belgium's national pavilion, entitled 'Bravoure', investigates the idea of craftmanship in everyday life – and architecture – particularly in our financially troubled times

The show is combination of full scale mock ups of examples of craftsmanship in Belgian architecture and beautiful

The Danes created an exhibition showcasing examples of their country's most inspiring modern architecture. The result? A pavilion chock-full of models and projects – the more time you have to spend on it, the better

The Finnish Pavilion in the Giardini investigates ideas of migration and borders.

French Pavilion in the Giardini — Ordinary and everyday neighbourhoods and territories with the capacity to transform dominated the French entry, also in the Giardini

The space was curated by OBRAS and Collectif AJAP14 in a show entitled 'The New Riches', referring to hidden potential

German Pavilion Kirsten Bucher — The Germans tackled head-on one of the past year's key issues – immigration – with their pavilion, dubbed 'Making Heimat'

German Pavilion Baumeisterfelix Torkar — Looking at the potential and challenges of Germany as an arrival country for immigrants, the pavilion's windows were left open throughout in a symbolic move

The Greek Pavilion Thisisaco Op T — The Greek Pavilion – called '#ThisisaCo-op' – delves into the challenges, from housing to urban issues, that face the modern city.

The Drawing Machine Rt 00 — Curated by Niall McLaughlin and Yeoryia Manolopoulou, the Irish Pavilion, located in the Arsenale rooms, focuses on the effects of dementia.

Japanese architecture aims to turn things around — Japan may have high youth unemployment and social issues, but the country aims to turn things around with the help of its great architecture.

Through this lens Japanese Giappone — Through this lens, the Japanese Pavilion looks at projects that have the potential to instigate social change.

The Far Game Korean Pavilion — The Korean Pavilion also explores housing and the country's growing urban fabric

The New Zealand Pavilion Future Islands Exhibition — The New Zealand Pavilion, the country's second ever Venice participation, re-imagines the nation's architecture scene as a series of metaphorical islands

Simplicity ruled at the Nordic Countries Pavilion, where Norway, Finland and Sweden teamed up to launch a self-examination vehicle that looks back at the countries' achievements and discusses what comes next

Pezo Von Ellrichshausen Pavillon Vara — Solo Galerie and Chilean architects Pezo von Ellrichshausen introduced a brand new pavilion at Venice's Giardini, called 'Vara'. The labyrinthine structure is a concrete exploration of space and routes

South Africa's participation looks at how active citizens are a country's best asset

Pabellon De Espana Fernando Maquieira — Winners of the 2016 Golden Lion for Best Pavilion, the Spanish investigate their country's economic and construction crisis through a thought provoking and elegant installation.

Christian Kerez's large, grey, inhabitable cloud dominates the Swiss Pavilion this year

Visitors can climb into the dreamy space, which makes a point about experiencing architecture

The Dutch Pavilion's new blue 'suit' hints at what's going on inside.

The Netherlands' theme this year revolves around the architecture of peacekeeping missions.

The Turkish Pavilion, in Arsenale's Sale d'Armi, takes its cue from port cities and docklands, and hangs a deconstructed boat from the ceiling

The British Pavilion housing — Meanwhile, the British Pavilion's explorations into the housing crisis and the way we live is broken down into five sections – hours, days, months, years and decades.

The 'Hours' element was curated by Jack Self, Shumi Bose and Finn Williams – also the pavilion's overall curatorial team.

The 'Years' room involves an installation by architect Julia King.

The US Pavilion looks at Detroit and a series of theoretical proposals to transform the city.

Participating practices include MOS, Preston Scott Cohen and A(n) Office. — Participating practices include MOS, Preston Scott Cohen and A(n) Office

In response to Alejandro Aravena’s main exhibition theme, Singapore’s 5th participation to the Biennale, titled 'Space to Imagine, Room for Everyone', highlights the country's smaller ‘battles’ and new cultural identities, developing between regions and communities.

The exhibition's 81 unique lanterns contain photographs, offering a peek into the homes of Singaporeans living in public housing — Accompanied by artifacts and footage, the exhibition's 81 unique lanterns contain photographs, offering a peek into the homes of Singaporeans living in public housing.

INFORMATION

The Venice Architecture Biennale runs until 27 November. For more information visit the Biennale’s website

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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).