venice biennale's spanish pavilion reflects on the vindication of learning environments

under the title becoming, the exhibition at the venice biennale‘s spanish pavilion, which has been curated by the architect atxu amann, opens the doors to actions, discourses and productions from architecture students developed between 2012 and 2017. after winning the golden lion award at the previous biennial for ‘unfinished’ — a project by architects carlos quintáns and iñaqui carnicero that explored the reinvented architecture of the construction crisis — the pavilion now addresses the future of architecture from the point of researchers.

becoming exhibition opens the doors to actions, discourses and productions from architecture students

the spanish pavilion’s becoming exhibition looks to the future, and a common ground of training in schools, which extends to other learning spaces and at times creates dialogue with other disciplines. from a starting point of 55 adjectives that qualify architecture and were presented in the open call, ‘becoming’ provides a space for heterogeneous proposals and reflections on architecture and vindication of learning environments as a space for criticism and architectural creation.

the exhibition looks to the future which extends to other learning spaces

among the eclectic selection inside the pavilion you will see proposals that critically review the past, others that redefine everyday spaces of the present, and those that imagine a future based on sustainability, well-being and social justice, as well as visions that fuse the real world and the virtual one. for example, it will be the first time that the pavilion shows, doctoral theses on architecture.

the pavilion reviews a future based on sustainability, well-being and social justice

becoming has also afforded specific opportunities within the framework of the biennial. the first of these was to invite student collectives to present a project that transformed the exterior space of the spanish pavilion. the winning intervention can be seen during the biennial and will remain in the pavilion once it is over.

the pavilion now addresses the future of architecture from the point of researchers

within this first specific open call, the proposal of a second group of students to occupy the rear space of the pavilion was accepted. it will now become the exit of the exhibition. it is a textile installation that reflects the concepts that have inspired the exhibition.

becoming provides a space for heterogeneous proposals and reflections on architecture

the open and liberal purpose of the spanish pavilion includes a declaration of intent the curators have assigned to the biennale, and the irish architects yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara. under the concept of the ‘freespace’, the curators encourage us to revise ways of thinking and new ways of seeing the world, devising solutions where architecture provides well-being and dignity to all the citizens of our fragile planet.

the open and liberal purpose of the spanish pavilion includes a declaration of intent

the curators encourage us to revise ways of thinking and new ways of seeing the world

vindication of learning environments as a space for criticism and architectural creation

55 adjectives that qualify architecture and were presented in the open call

floor plan

designboom’s coverage of the 2018 venice architecture biennale is in partnership with leading energy company edison. edison is taking part in the 16th international architecture exhibition of la biennale di venezia by initiating a path towards sustainability and the efficient use of resources. the collaboration between edison and la biennale is based on awareness that energy is one of the fundamental elements of architecture and of the places, spaces and cities of contemporary life.