‘balancing act’ by ensamble studio at the arsenal building in venice, italy all images courtesy of ensamble studio
as part of this year’s venice architecture biennale, spanish practice ensamble studio has created ‘balancing act’, an installation to be showcased at the arsenal building. consisting of two giant beams, a spring and a rock, the project is a play of balance. negotiating between the old structural columns of the building, the two lines created by the installation draw a diagonal incision through the space. the result is a new order, a new rhythm to the ‘tempo’ already established by the existing columns. this foreign composition creates tension and friction, offering a new and disturbing reading of the space. the predominantly horizontal structure affects the verticality of the room, breaking its scale and introducing a new element to the arsenal building.
rendering of ‘balancing act’
‘we have understood the whole arsenale as a theme of multiple counterpoint, where after the appearance of the original space, different voices occur around that theme, developed and carried in intervals, creating a complex compositional sequence, an architectural ”fugue”, in which different spaces follow one another, and in which the dissonant balance of the ‘balancing act’ is just one chord.’ -ensamble studio
layout of the beams
placement of the elements
load-bearing diagram
elevation and dimensions
spring detail
