Details

Country

Italy

Architect

Heliopolis 21 & ARX

Photographer

Luca Cioci

Category

Public buildings

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Public buildings

The Italian Pavilion in Venice is set in the Tese delle Vergini at the Arsenale, that is, together with the Giardini della Biennale, one of the venues of La Biennale di Venezia Architecture and Art Exhibitions.

Commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Culture - Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity and curated by architect and professor Alessandro Melis, the exhibition 'Resilient Communities’ was created for the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2021.

Resilient communities

The exhibition addresses pressing contemporary issues. The effects of climate change, such as on emigration and health, are central to the exhibition. City planning has an important influence on CO2 emissions and thus on the frequency and strength of extreme weather phenomena. The exhibition explores the crucial role of the architect in that process.

Harmonious, sustainable development is inextricably linked to solving the environmental crisis, which particularly affects the most vulnerable communities. The exhibition explores the possibilities of promoting the transformation of those communities and of determining the architectural scenarios for a sustainable future.

A circular design concept

The design of the pavilion is a collaboration of the architectural practices Heliopolis 12, founded by curator Alessandro Melis and the Florence-based studio ARX. The pavilion not only presents an exhibition about sustainability, the interior design also embodies this concept. The objective for the design was a result with minimal environmental impact.

To achieve this goal, components were repurposed and reused, such as elements from the most recent exhibition in the Italian Pavilion, during the Biennale Arte 2019. This philosophy was continued throughout the entire design concept, up to the lighting. The selected LED luminaires from Delta Light are not only energy-efficient, they are also pre-used. This further reduces the ecological footprint of the pavilion.

A web of lighting

The lighting of the Italian Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura 2021 draws its inspiration from the story of curator Alessandro Melis. The lighting plan, as created by Heliopolis 21 and ARX, symbolises a web of relationships, resources, opportunities, and perspectives. The concept is translated into an arrangement of architectural lighting by Delta Light which is the exclusive lighting sponsor of the exhibition and includes constellations of Superloop light circles, profiles with Spy spotlights and tubular luminaires from the XY180 collection.