Biennale Architettura 2018: Freespace Unveils First Images

The 16th International Architecture Exhibition, curated by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects, opens at the Venice Biennale with a minimalist approach that reveals the raw qualities of the Arsenale and Giardini venues. The exhibition, titled Freespace, avoids artificial structures that might conflict with the historic sites. At the Arsenale, visitors are greeted by two projections replacing the structures from Alejandro Aravena's 2016 edition, evoking the site's architectural identity and industrial history. A double graphic guide marks the length of the Arsenale in both Venetian feet and meters. The show features 71 participants, beginning with school projects—a specialty of Grafton Architects—followed by restoration examples like Eduardo Souto de Moura's conversion of Santa Maria do Bouro convent into a hotel and Flores & Prats Architects' Sala Beckett restoration in Barcelona. Toyo Ito offers an ethereal interpretation of Freespace, contrasted by Laura Peretti's studio's regeneration of the Corviale housing complex in Rome. Walter Angonese presents a wooden installation for the Carezza Lake Visitor Center. A video by 6a architects, Trees Down Here, prompts reflection on material use. Experimental works include Riccardo Blumer's liquid wall of soap and water, SANAA's acrylic spiral, and installations by andramatin and Dorte Mandrup A/P.