singapore pavilion asks is there 'no more free space?' during the venice biennale

in response to this year’s biennale titled ‘freespace’, the singapore pavilion asks if there is indeed ‘no more free space?’ in the island state, acting as a testimony of how the creative freedom of mind has the power to turn space constraints into a myriad of alternative possibilities. curated by the singapore university of technology and design (SUTD) in collaboration with the national university of singapore’s department of architecture (NUS), the exhibition tells the story of how, in spite of the lack of free space, singapore-based architects, urban planners and place-makers have creatively found ways to bring delightful free spaces to the city’s everyday life.

all images © singapore pavilion

marking the country’s sixth showcase at the venice architecture biennale since 2004, the exhibition features 12 singapore-based projects that showcase the resourcefulness of architects to turn constraints into possibilities. more than 400 times smaller than italy, singapore has turned its lack of space into an opportunity to re-imagine what a highly compact city can be.

an immersive installation of handcrafted acrylic knots suspends over the center of the pavilion, complete with a multi-sensory projection of lights, sounds and images of singapore – itself an example of a resourceful, unexpected free space. the projects on show tap into social capital in order to bring joy and connect people to the larger community. the singapore pavilion is commissioned by the DesignSingapore council (Dsg) of the ministry of communications and information, and the urban redevelopment authority (URA).