Reflections on architecture

After setting up the gallery for the last time in preparation for the Scotland+Venice closing party we took some time out to take a quick walk round the second half of the architecture biennale – the Arsenale. Instead of individual pavilions representing each country, architects displayed their work in the large gallery at the Arsenale which is itself a fantastic series of buildings (a former shipyard). As with the first visit to the biennale, we didn’t have time to look at everything in detail. The stand-outs for me were:

the Gateway by Norman Foster (shown above),

the exhibition by Valerio Olgiati (shown above) which displayed images which inspire various well known architects, the Venezuelan café with an exhibition by Urban-Think Tank of communities occupying unfinished buildings, Spain mon amour –  where 200 Spanish students were flown over to Venice to explain a range of recent projects by Spanish Architects,

Cancha:Chilean soilscapes by Chile (shown above) with its rock salt floor and glowing boxes was incredibly atmospheric

and perhaps my favourite – a simple (looking) interactive timber installation Shifting Ground by Heneghan Peng (shown above).  Think long timber block which acts like a see-saw for 10 people which moved up and down depending on who and how many sat where.  A short film by Wim Wenders, which describes a day in the life of Peter Zumthor towards the end of the exhibition was pretty inspiring too.

Images by Murdo McDermid