raumlabor reconstructs 'floating university' bubble for knowledge transfer in venice biennale 

at the 17th exhibition of venice architecture biennale, raumlabor berlin reconstructs part of the ‘floating university’, an offshore-laboratory for collective, experimental learning, knowledge transfer which was situated in a rainwater basin of berlin. the structure stood temporarily in the middle of the container for three ‘open weeks’ in 2018, inviting different university groups, initiatives, neighbors and other inhabitants to gather and engage in fruitful conversation. 

images © designboom

at the venice architecture biennale 2021, visitors can observe raumlabor’s project through a series of photographs, descriptions, drawings, models, as well as some reconstructed parts of the structure itself. according to the architects, ‘floating university’ was carefully designed as a place where human-made architectures intertwine with the habitat of a multitude of other organisms. in the water basin consisting of polluted, urban, surface water, the floating construction presented ‘a paradoxical paradise for parallel and common actions — place of ongoing surprises and encounters’ as the studio mentions. in addition, the open character of the installations motivated the permeation of ideas and relationships among the different groups. 

in 2018, students and their teachers from berlin, europe and elsewhere teamed up to build the campus featuring learning spaces, workshops, an auditorium, a laboratory tower for experimental water filtration systems, a kitchen, a bar and toilettes. as a result, they created a space for exchanging knowledge within experimental, educational formats. the ‘floating university’ encouraged both the local and international public to explore the rainwater retention basin and the campus, as well as to participate in workshops, lectures, seminars, hot tub talks, concerts and performances.

project info: 

name: floating university
exhibition location: venice architecture biennale 2021
architects: raumlabor berlin
team: andrea hofmann, axel timm, benjamin foerster-baldenius, christof mayer, florian stirnemann, francesco apuzzo, frauke gerstenberg, jan liesegang, markus bader
bubble materials: plastic sheets, shuttering board, timber beams; table, billboard, plywood chairs, scaffold, neon light