9. Venice Biennale

The curator of this year's Biennale was Kurt W. Forester. The interior spaces of the Arsenale were unified by the New York duo Asymptote. There were nine additional accompanying exhibitions throughout the city. The exhibition area again took up more military grounds and expanded. The biggest stars already have their own exhibitions and boycott the collective ones. However, this did provide space for younger talents, and there was still much to see.

Giardini di Castello - exhibition of individual countries

England commissioner: Emily Campbell, Andrea Rose
curator: Peter Cook and Lucy Swift
At the entrance axis of the pavilion, you are welcomed by a life-sized photograph of Jan Kaplický. Nine exhibitors speak to you from a speaker bench at the models. Mostly they are the eternal children of the English architectural school. The curator himself has matured, left academia, and joined the commercial firm HOK.
Argentina commissioner: Facultad de Arquitectura, Dise?o y Urbanistica
curators: Berardo Dujovne, Reynaldo Leiro
Belgium theme: Kinshasa, Imaginary City
commissioner: Katrien Vandermarliere
curators: Filip De Boeck Koen Van Synghel
Dedicated to the social issues of African society and rapidly growing cities.
web: www.vai.be
Brazil commissioner: Manoel Francisco Pires da Costa
curators: Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, Pedro Cury
web: www.bienalsaopaulo.org.br
Chile theme: Frontis
commissioners: Sebastian Gray, Alejandro Manriquez, Patricia Rivadeneira
Croatia theme: commissioner: Helena Paver Njiric
web: www.studioup.hr
Czech Republic and Slovakia theme: Metamorphosis of A. Šrámková and of F. Milučký in the Cinema Time
commissioner: Mária Topolčanská
Too bad for words.
Denmark theme: Too Perfect: Seven New Denmarks
commissioner: Kent Martinussen
curator: Bruce Mau in collaboration with PLOT
web: www.tooperfect.dk, www.dac.dk
Egypt theme: 6thD
commissioner: Magdi Mohammed Mousa
In 1946, Sigfried Gideon clarified the existence of a fourth dimension. Egyptian architects are searching for another using modern technologies. So far, they have stopped at the number six.
Estonia theme: Architecture Time Out
commissioners: Pille Epner, Margit Mutso
From necessity comes virtue.
Finland theme: From Wood to Architecture
commissioner: Roy Mänttäri
web: www.mfa.fi/frontpage
Clear, simple, and straightforward solution. Metamorphosis = transformation. The main theme in our wooden pavilion will therefore be the transformation of wood into architecture. Most of the represented buildings have already been featured in world magazines and have received various awards, but together they showed the great potential that wood still has.
France theme: Métamorphoses durables: vivre et habiter autrement
commissioner: Françoise-Héléne Jourda
Urbanism of a single place extended into the distant future.
Georgia theme: Garikula - Center for the Arts
commissioner: Rezo Gogolashvili; curator: Karaman Kutateladze
web: www.garikula.org
Netherlands theme: Hybrid Landscapes. Designing for Sprawl in the NL 1980-2004
commissioner: Aaron Betsky
curator: Linda Vlassenrood
The Dutch understand urbanism and landscape creation. Although they are a small country, they are not afraid of large undertakings. The roles of architect and urban planner have not split here, and they do not stumble in mortal anguish like we do. By the way, this year's wedding of the curator of the Dutch pavilion was declared the biggest architectural event of the year.
Ireland theme: Transformation of an Institution
commissioners: Shane O'Toole, Paul Kelly
web: www.odonnell-tuomey.ie
Israel theme: Metamorphosisrael - Back to the Sea
commissioners: Michael Gov, Doron Hazan
curators: Sigal Barnir, Yael Moria Klain, David Palterer
web: www.labiennale-israelipavilion.org
Three quarters of the residents of the Jewish state live along a coastline shorter than the distance between Brno and Prague. The serious and current theme of seeking a place for their own state leads them to inhabit the sea. Kafka's grim story that shares the same title as this year's Biennale theme was lightened by an outdoor installation of a mundane beach.
Italy theme: Sguardi contemporanei - 50 Years of Italian Architecture
commissioner: Pio Baldi
curator: Margherita Guccione
Italian-Latin American Institute theme: Tropical Identity
commissioner/curator: Irma Arestizábal
web: www.iila.org
Japan theme: OTAKU: personality = space = cities
commissioners: Morikawa Kaichiro, Okabe Miki, Tsurumi Yoshimi
Japanese society as a whole is sick and degenerating. Two decades of economic recession and a nearly hopeless situation in its banking sector are reflected in its citizens. Otaku were originally young and promising boys who over time lost faith in the future, science, and technology. The Otaku syndrome has been the subject of many studies. For a European newly confronted with this, the Japanese pavilion might seem overwhelmed with pornography and depravity.
South Korea commissioners: Chung Guyon, Kim Bongryol, Kim Sunghong
Yugoslavia theme: The Metamorphosis: From Hyper Solid to Inverse Perspective
commissioner: Frosina Zafirovska
curator: Vlatko P. Korobar
Canada theme: Objets trouvés
commissioner: Brigitte Desrochers
curator: Georges Adamczyk
web: www.saucierperrotte.com
Six projects by the office of Saucier + Perotte were presented.
Costa Rica the country is represented by its projects by Bruno Stagno
Lithuania commissioners: Juris Poga, Paivi Tirkkonen De Grandis, and Zanda Redberga
Luxembourg commissioner: François Valentiny
Hungary theme: From Beauty to Beauty and Back Again
commissioner: Julia Fabényi
curator: Péter Janesch
web: www.biennale04.hu
Germany theme: Deutschlandschaft - Epizentren der Peripherie
commissioner: Francesca Ferguson
web: www.deutschlandschaft.de
Cool Germans managed to poke fun at themselves. A ninety-meter-long ribbon of photo-collages winds through a classic building, focusing its attention on the realizations of young architects operating on the periphery of cities.
Panama the country is represented by its projects by Frank O. Gehry. The graphic aspect was taken care of by another Canadian Bruce Mau.
Poland theme: Architectures: meta structures of humanity, morphic strategies of exposure
commissioners: Agnieszka Morawinska, Ewa Wojciechowska
curator: Adam Budak
web: www.labiennale.art.pl
Portugal commissioners: Pedro Gadanho, Luis Tavares Pereira
web: www.iartes.pt/metaflux
The content of the exhibition would likely have been better captured by the theme of the previous biennale Next, which does not diminish the fact that it was the highest quality exhibition in terms of content. Formally, it seemed that the exhibition is traveling and was not directly designed for the Venice Biennale. Through this way, I would like to reach out to a person willing to bring it to the Czech Republic for a few weeks. It would give confidence to the younger generation and courage to the public.
Austria commissioner: Marta Schreieck
web: www.archbiennale.at
The male partner of the Vienna duo Henke.Schreieck we could see with our own eyes in the spring. At that time, he justified his colleague and outlined a possible theme for the pavilion. I have long admired Hoffmann's building in the Venetian Giardini, and each year it manages to fill well. At the entrance is a black booth that immortalizes all your designs into polystyrene. The interior is filled with bold designs from young offices in recent years, but primarily showcases the idea of the family chain of supermarkets Mpreis. Each store is unique. The buildings educate the customers' taste.
Romania theme: Superomania
commissioners: Radu Taeca, Cosmina Goagea
Quality architecture in the country is formed exclusively by foreign corporations that invite their own architects to the country. The threat of losing national identity from illuminated showcases. The method of presentation is very similar to that of Scandinavia, yet so distant.
Russia theme: Project Workshop Russia
commissioner: Evghenij Zyablov
curator: Evghenij Asse
web: www.labiennale.ru
Presenting workshops of Russian students, who change every week and whose results hang in the foyer. A very nice, selfless, and not expensive curator's idea.
Greece theme: Paradigmata
working team: A.Antonas, Z.Xagoraris, H.Hari, F.Oraiopoulos
web: www.paradigmata.gr
Slovenia commissioners: Andrej Hrausky, Aurora Fonda
curators: William J. Curtis, Miha Dešman, Jurij Kobe, Tomaž Krušec, Miljenko Licul, Aleš Vodopivec
Serbia and Montenegro theme: Eco-Logic
commissioner: Slobodan Danko Selinkic
Singapore theme: Tropical Genteelity
commissioners: Milton Tan, Paolo De Grandis
curators: Lim Ee Man Joseph, Wong Yunn Chii, Wong Chong Thai Bobby
Scandinavia theme: Our Nature
commissioners: Karin Äberg-Waern (Sweden), Roy Mänttäri (Finland), Eva Madshus (Norway)
web: www.arkitekturmuseet.se
Spain commissioners: Gerardo Ayala Hernández, Maria Concepción Calvo Campos
curator: Estudio de Arquitectura Gerardo Ayala
Switzerland theme: Larger Earth
commissioner: Urs Staub
USA theme: Transcending Type
commissioners: Robert Ivy, Clifford Pearson
AIA is a big business in America, its flagship publication is Architectural Record, and its editor-in-chief is this year's curator. Americans are strong individualists, and this year no tragedy has forced them to seek common ground. In a way, that is good.

Arsenale - selection from the exhibitions of individual themes

Concert Halls

Berger+Parkkinen, Music Theater, Linz, Austria
Claus en Kaan, theater, Forum City, Ghent, Belgium
Coop Himmelb(l)au, opera Guangzhou, China

Peter Eisenman, Teatro de la Musica, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Norman Foster, Music Center, Gateshead, England
Frank O. Gehry, Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Zaha Hadid, opera Guangzhou, China
Henning Larsens Tegnestue, concert and congress hall Uppsala, Sweden
Arata Isozaki, cultural center Shenzen, China
Toyo Ito, Sala Concert Matsumoto, Japan
Klaus Kada, Festival House in St. Polten, Austria
Daniel Libeskind, Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
Mansilla+Tuňón, Auditorium in Leon, Spain
Richard Meier+Arata Isozaki, Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall, New York, USA
Jean Nouvel, Danish Broadcasting Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark
NOX, Regional Center for Pop Music, Nancy, France
Ocean North, Jyvaskyla Music and Arts Center, Finland
Renzo Piano, Auditorium in Rome, Italy
PLOT / Julien De Smedt & Bjarke Ingels, Concert House Stavanger, Norway
RUR, Experimental Music theater, Graz, Austria
S&Aa, Palacio Euskalduna, Bilbao, Spain
Sanaksenaho Architects, Music Center 2000, Helsinki, Finland
SARC Architects Ltd, "D" Helsinki Music Center 2000, Finland
Snohetta, national opera, Oslo, Norway
UN Studio, Theater, Lelystad, Netherlands

Episodes

Ron Arad
Centr Sovremennoj Architektury (CSA) - Ivan Leonidov
Giovanni Chiaramonte
Cibic & Partners
Eladio Dieste
Eisenman Architects
Kengo Kuma & Associates
Armin Linke
Navarro Baldeweg Asociados, S.L.
Sauerbruch Hutton Architekten
Massimo Scolari
UN Studio
Wilkinson Eyre Architects

Transformations

dECOi, Apartment Bankside, London, England
Günther Domenig, Documentation Center, Nuremberg, Germany
Steven Holl, Kiasma - working models, Helsinki, Finland
Arata Isozaki, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Museum of Contemporary Arts, Beijing, China
Greg Lynn FORM, Transformations of Kleiburg Block, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dagmar Richter, 3D prints and digital development Domino-in(f)o
Richard Rogers, reconstruction of the bullring, Barcelona, Spain

Topography

3Xnielsen, Slussen, Stockholm, Sweden
Asymptote, auditorium and crematorium, 2004, New York, USA
Navarro Baldeweg, Molino de Martos y Ribera del Estadio, Cordoba, Spain
Shigeru Ban, Centre Pompidou - Metz, France
Mario Bellini, Cittanova 2000, Modena, Italy
David Chipperfield, Visitor Center, Casa da Historia, A Coruna, Spain
Diller & Scofidio, Lincoln Center project, New York, USA
Peter Eisenman, Ciudade de Cultura de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Eric Mirálles, Edificio e Piazza in San Sebastián, Spain
Carlos Ferrater, Jardin Botanic de Barcelona, Spain
Field Operations, Lifescape: Fresh Kills Parkland
FOA, underground parking lot and park Novartis, Basel, Switzerland
Massimiliano Fuksas, Nuovo Polo Espositivo Fiera, Milan
Manuelle Gautrand, expansion of Lille Modern Art Museum, France
Nicholas Grimshaw, Eden Project, Cornwall, England
Vicente Guallart, Denia Mountain Project, Denia, Spain
Zaha Hadid, Guggenheim Museum, Taichung, Taiwan
Steven Holl, Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Michael Hopkins, Inn the Park, London, England
Arata Isozaki, Competition Florence New Station, Italy
Toyo Ito, Park at Hakatu Bay, Fukuoka, Japan
Tom Kovac, Amatruda Penthouse, Melbourne, Australia
Kengo Kuma, Kiro-san Observatory, Japan
Martinez Lapeňa and Torres, visitor center Casa de Historia, A Coruna, Spain
Lundgaard & Tranberg, The Tietgen Dormitory in Ørestad, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mansilla + Tunon, Museum of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
Morphosis, Diamond Ranch High School, Diamond Bar, CA, USA
The next ENTERprise, Outdoor pool Kaltern, South Tyrol, Austria
NL Architects, Het Funen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jean Nouvel, Guggenheim competition project, Tokyo, Japan
Odile Decq, The Liaunig Collection - Museum, Neuhaus, Austria
Ocean D, Mountain Hut, California/Machu Picchu, Peru
Dominique Perrault, Ciudadela Santa Cruz beach, Tenerife, Spain
Renzo Piano, Paul Klee Museum, Bern, Switzerland
R&Sie, Dusty Relief/B-mu, Bangkok, Thailand
Dagmar Richter, The Wave, Berlin, Germany
RUR, Alishan Infrastructure, Thailand
SANAA, Kanazawa Museum, Japan
Michael Sorkin, Kaohsiung Maritime Gateway, Taiwan
Eduardo Souto de Moura, Two Houses in Ponte de Lima, Peru
Tezuka, Museum of Natural Science, Matsunoyama, Japan
UN Studio, Ponte Parodi, Genoa, Italy
West 8, Park Interpolis Tilburg, Netherlands

Surfaces

Acconci Studio, Underground parking Garage, Basel, Switzerland
Architektur Consult, T-Center - headquarters of T-Mobile, Vienna, Austria
Asymptote, BMW entertainment and shopping center project, Munich, Germany
dECOi, Miran Gallery, Paris, France
Diller & Scofidio, Eyebeam, New York, USA
Erick Van Egeraat, town hall in Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands
Peter Eisenman, Napoli Alta Velocitá, Italy
Shuhei Endo, Atelier House - Springtecture B - Biwa-cho, Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Eric Owen Moss, Jose Vasconcelos Library of Mexico, Mexico City
FOA, BBC Music Center, London, England
Zvi Hecker, Schipol International Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Ingenhoven Overdijk, Audi pavilion, Frankfurt, Germany
Greg Lynn, museum in St. Gallen, Switzerland
Maxwan, Building ICT Toren, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Jürgen Mayer H., Museo Constantini, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Rafael Moneo, Museo Beulas, Huesca, Spain
NL Architects, Parkhouse Carstadt, Amsterdam, Netherlands
NOX, water pavilion, Netherlands
Ofis. Architects, Cineplex, Maribor Slovenia
Penezic & Rogina, Absolute Internet, no stop city
Querkraft, Lux, Lower Austria
Dagmar Richter, Waterford North Quays International Competition, Ireland
RUR, Sagaponac House, New York, USA
Sadar Vuga, Fountain Solkian, Slovenia
Makoto Sei Watanabe, Shin Minamata Station, Japan
Servo, Lobby-Ports
ShoP, F.I.T., New York, USA
SOM, Jinling Hotel Tower, China
TEN Arquitectos, Philadelphia Library, Pennsylvania, USA
Bernard Tschumi, Vacheron Constantin Headquarters
UN Studio, Möbius house, Naarden, Netherlands
René van Zuuk, ARCAM, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Wilkinson Eyre, bridge for the Royal Ballet School, London, England

Atmosphere

3Xnielsen, Kroniylland bank building, Randers, Denmark
Abalos & Herreros, public library, Usera, Madrid, Spain
Adjaye & Associates, Idea Store, London, UK
Will Alsop, The 4th Grace, Liverpool, UK
Wiel Arets, The Europol, Hague, Netherlands
ARGE & Krischanitz, extension of the museum, Zurich, Switzerland
Berger + Parkkinen, Embassies of the Nordic countries, Berlin, Germany
Erick Van Egeraat, New ING Offices, Budapest, Hungary
Eric Owen Moss, Smithsonian Patent Office Building, Washington D.C. USA
Massimiliano Fuksas, Nuovo Padiglione III Abbigliamento, Turin, Italy
Gigon/Guyer, storage gallery Henze+Kettere, Wichtrach, canton Bern, Switzerland
Toyo Ito, Tod's Omotesando, Tokyo, Japan
Jakob+Macfarlane, 100 logements pour RIVP, Paris, France
Kengo Kuma, One Omotesando, Tokyo, Japan
MVRDV, City Container, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Navarro Baldeweg, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
Neutelings Riedijk, forwarding and transportation center, Rotterdam
Jean Nouvel, Nishi-Shinjuku Project
Marcos Novak, Allobio
NOX, Maison Folie de Wazemmes, Lille - Wazemmes, France
Kaas Oosterhuis, network of northern Netherlands
PTW, national swimming center, Beijing, China
S&Aa, Torre Laminar, Avenida Glories-Diagonal, Barcelona, Spain
Sanaksenaho, ecumenical chapel, Turku, Finland
Sauerbruch Hutton, main building of ADAC, Munich, Germany
Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa, expansion of the museum in Valencia, Spain
ShoP, The Porter House, New York, USA
UN Studio, office building La Defense, Almere, Netherlands
Wilhelmson Arkitekter, Ringtorpsplatsen, Helsingborg, Denmark
Wilkinson Eyre, new crystal palace, London, England
Wingårdhs, Swedish embassy, Washington, USA

Hyperprojects

Abalos&Herreros, park on the coast, Forum 2004, Barcelona
Will Alsop, urban plan for the city of Middlehaven, England
Behnisch & Behnisch, German main clearing bank, Hanover, Germany
Mario Bellini, Biblioteca e Centro Culturale di Torino, Italy
Coop Himmelb(l)au, Musée des Confluences, Lyon, France
Peter Eisenman, Rebstockpark, Frankfurt, Germany
Heneghan Peng, competition design for the redevelopment of Carlisle Pier
HLT, competition design for the Olympic Village NYC2012, New York, USA
Martinez Lapeňa and Torres, Forum, Barcelona, Spain
Morphosis, competition design for the Olympic Village NYC2012, New York, USA
Schmidt Hammer & Lassen, Royal Library in Copenhagen, Denmark
Preston Scott Cohen, TAMA - museum, Tel Aviv, Israel
Álvaro Siza, swimming pool, Leca, Lisbon, Portugal
SOM, Old Post Office, New York, USA
Bernard Tschumi, Factory 798, Beijing, China
UN Studio, main transportation hub of the city of Arnhem, Netherlands