Aravena’s main show, though full of timely and meaningful projects, doesn’t succeed terribly well strictly as an exhibition — as a sensory and visual experience on its own terms...
In part this weakness may be explained by the quick time frame; it also seems to flow from Aravena’s generous sensibility, his interest in opening his arms wide to the architecture of the moment and featuring a range of voices usually not heard in Venice. In that sense a desire for inclusion is his Achilles’ heel.
— Christopher Hawthorne | Los Angeles Times
"Some architects — some architects left out of the show, that is — complained in Venice that what Aravena has produced is little more than a politically correct biennale [...] Yet the tone is more tolerant and curious than strident or doctrinaire. Ultimately the PC charge is a caricature, a... View full entry
Alejandro Aravena’s brief for the Fifteenth International Architecture Exhibition at the 2016 Venice Biennale calls for projects that “are scrutinizing the horizon looking for new fields of action, facing issues like segregation, inequalities, peripheries, access to sanitation, natural... View full entry
A Labour MP has formally asked the government’s independent spending watchdog to investigate how the trust behind London’s proposed garden bridge has spent almost two-thirds of the government funding for the project before construction has begun.
“We’ve had millions of pounds of public money spent and we have no idea what it’s actually been spent on, and it was spent before it even got full planning permission,” Hoey said.
— theguardian.com
Although Khan originally showed reservations, it was revealed last week that he would back the project pertaining to certain conditions. Read more on the controversial project here:Why are Heatherwick's proposals succeeding in New York but tanking in London?Sadiq Khan investigates troublesome... View full entry
Decided at Dinner (When Digestion Begins)The theme of this year’s Nordic Countries’ Pavilion, “In Therapy: Nordic Countries Face to Face,” captures a quality underpinning this year’s Biennale positioning and consistent across its many contributions. Finland, Norway, and Sweden, by... View full entry
The lady on the ladder chosen as the image for the 2016 Biennale Architettura sees, amidst “great disappointments[,] creativity and hope,” states Paolo Baratta, president of the Venice Biennale. “[S]he sees them in the here-and-now, not in some uncertain aspirational, ideological future.”... View full entry
The opulence of Venice's 16th-century Palazzo Franchetti is as memorable as the designs of a particular Zaha Hadid. A can't-be-missed retrospective honoring the late architect's four-decade career opened to the public today, just in time for the hoards of visitors venturing out to the nearby... View full entry
The general atmosphere at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale, Reporting from the Front, is one of excitement, of subversion. The Fifteenth edition of the Biennale explicitly calls for instances where architecture is an “instrument of self-government, of humanist civilization, and a... View full entry
Without a doubt, there will be plenty to see in and around the Venice Biennale. Planning on attending and not so sure where to start? For the next few months, Bustler will share our recommendations of national exhibition pavilions and related events that you shouldn't miss. Have a look at our first list that you can use as a starting point for your visit(s). Happy Biennale-ing! — Bustler
Don't miss out on an exhibition featuring Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, a nearby Zaha Hadid retrospective, and the national pavilions from Great Britain, the Republic of Korea, The Philippines, and more.You can also keep track of Archinect's ongoing Venice Biennale coverage... View full entry
London-based manufacturer Sto has collaborated with architecture and design practice Sam Jacob Studio to create a oversized replica of an ordinary garden shed by 3D scanning its facade and reproducing it using a product called Verolith. The oversized shed is covered in Verolith panels, a chalky... View full entry
Are you stuck at home feeling Biennale-FOMO while everyone else is sipping Campari and sodas in the Arsenale? Assuage it by watching a live tour of the Biennale conducted by Alejandro Aravena tomorrow.The stream will begin on May 26th at noon (Venice time, assumedly). You can watch it on the T... View full entry
Curious where to find interesting architecture-related happenings in Los Angeles, or where other design-inclined folks are gathering in the Greater L.A. region? Let Archinect and Bustler help you out! We compiled a snappy list of engaging lectures, discussions, upcoming exhibitions and ongoing... View full entry
It’s that time of year when London's design district opens its doors to the public for Clerkenwell Design Week and shows the rest of London and the design industry what it has to offer. An impressive showcase of distinct and accomplished talent the three-day event spans; furniture and product... View full entry
There's something fun for everyone amid the hustle and bustle in New York City, including architecture and design events! For anyone who is curious about what architecture-related events to fit into your weekly schedules, Archinect and Bustler have compiled a snappy list of thought-provoking... View full entry
If twenty or so policemen shut down your architecture exhibition, it’s probably a sign that you’re doing something right. Far from the antiseptic tedium that characterizes so many architecture events these days, the second iteration of One-Night Stand LA, "the Rendezvous", was a raucous affair... View full entry
At the start of every week, we highlight some of the most recent news in competition-winning projects, commissions, awards, shortlists, and events on the newly redesigned Bustler from the previous week that are worth checking out. Here's recap #109 for the week of May... View full entry