Venice Architecture Biennale - 2014

The most important international architectureevent of 2014

The President of the Venice Biennale, Paolo Baratta, a man of culture with a special, essential understanding of the architectural phenomenon and a former minister in the Italian government, nominated Rem Koolhaas in 2012 to take charge of the 2014 edition.

Rem Koolhaas, a leading figure in contemporary architecture with works all over the world, including the Casa de la musica in Porto and the Chinese Central Television Headquarters in Beijing, is a Dutchman and professor of architecture at the prestigious Harvard University. Throughout the Biennale's preparations, he has proved himself to be a high-caliber "teacher", expressing important ideas in short, to the point sentences, with great managerial ability, assisted by historian Stephan Petermann and architect Stephan Truby.

Because of his academic background, Koolhaas made it a condition of his involvement that preparations for the Biennale should start two years in advance. Thus, the working meetings started on January 25, 2013 and were held quarterly. This has been particularly beneficial and has significantly increased the event's chances of success. The Biennale runs from June 7 to November 23, 2014.

The general theme is "Foundations of Architecture".

In his explanatory statement, he said that the current standardization and technologization is distancing architects from the spirit that runs through architecture. That is why we need to always remember the "fundamentals". An idea that applies to just about any thorough undertaking.

This year's Architecture Biennale has three sections: one dedicated to the national pavilions, which talk about the history of architecture over the last hundred years, a second section dedicated to the Biennale's central pavilion, which shows the FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE that every architect in the world has operated and operates with in his projects, and the third section in L'Arsenale, which talks about Italian architecture and culture - "MONDITALIA".

It is a unique opportunity to get to know ARCHITECTURE. A lesson in architecture, technique and building culture intended for all students from all over the world, all those interested in the current architectural phenomenon. I recommend all those with a student's heart interested in architecture to go to Venice and see the Biennale. It is an occasion that is sure to mark their lives for the better.

The Romanian Union of Architects' contribution to the organization of the event

For Romania's participation in the Biennale, a partnership agreement was signed between the Union of Romanian Architects, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Romanian Cultural Institute. The Union's main task was to prepare the architectural competition for the design of the Romanian pavilion and the new gallery of the Institute for Research and Humanistic Culture in Venice, founded by Nicolae Iorga. The titles Absorbing Modernity, The Last Hundred Years of Architecture, 1914-2014 aroused interest. Although simply expressed, the theme was very difficult. The Union organized a scientific committee to develop the theme. The team included not only historians and architects, but also structural engineers, professors, psychologists and psychologists. The idea was to represent as accurately as possible the spirit of the last hundred years of architecture. The theme was launched following a feverishly sustained collective activity at the UAR headquarters at 48 rue Jean Louis Calderon for almost eight months. Among the participants are Luminița Machedon, Viorica Curea, Dorin Ștefan, Nicolae Lascu, Ana Maria Zahariade, Grigore Nicola, Alexandru Beldiman, Dorin Gheorghe, Romeo Belea, Anca Mitrache, Emil Retegan, Augustin Ioan, George Mitrache, Françoise Pamfil, Marius Călin, Sidonia Teodorescu, Dan Dinoiu and the scientific secretary Mihaela Constantin.

The national architecture competition and its prizes

The Union of Architects was closely involved in the organization and successful completion of the Romanian participation in Venice. An essential architectural part of the quadripartite partnership with the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Union organized the national competition for the design of the national pavilion in Venice and the new gallery of the Institute for Research and Humanistic Culture in Venice. Around 200 architects organized in 46 teams participated in the competition.

The international jury, chaired by Frank Lloyd Wright's former pupil, architect Brian A. Spencer, from the United States of America, together with Juhani Katainen, Ana Maria Zahariade, Vlad Gaivoronschi, Monica Morariu, Alexandru Damian and Bogdan Tofan, selected the winners: for the National Pavilion - the team of young architects led by Mihai Sima (Andreea Iancu, Stejara Timiș, Anca Trestian, Raluca Sabău - n.r.) and for the Noua galerie - the team of architects led by Emil Ivănescu (Olivia Zahalca, Carmen Tănase, Laura Iosub, Loredana Mihali, Marius Danciu and Eliza Culea - n.r.).

Preparation and realization of the exhibitions

Modeling preparations in Sibiu. The winning pavilion talks about the deserted factories after 1989, a wake-up call for politicians. Those willing to use the enormous capacity of spaces built by converting and consolidating old ones can modernize the face of the country. Funding for exhibitions should be provided at least three months before opening.

Working meetings with Biennale director Rem Koolhaas - words on Romanian architecture

At the press conferences in Venice, when asked what he could elaborate on in the topic addressed to the national pavilions "Absorbing Modernity, 1914-2014", Rem Koolhaas said that Romanian architects are an example "Look at the Romanians how they were influenced from the inside, for example Ion Mincu and State Ciortan, or how they were influenced from the outside, look at the architectural works of Horia Creangă or Duiliu Marcu".

Press conferences, premiers and general impressions

I think Romania's presence at the Biennale was and is a very good thing for the country's image. Our presence is meritorious and appreciated by other countries.

This year's Golden Lion was awarded to the South Korean pavilion, and the Golden Lion honorary distinction was awarded to architect Phyllis Lambert from Canada, for supporting the architectural phenomenon "not as an architect, but as an owner and guardian of architectural heritage". It was she who commissioned German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and American architect Philip Johnson to design the Seagram Building in New York. The building on New York's Park Avenue became a national monument in 2006.

Students at the Biennale

Romanian universities should make efforts to send their students and teachers to see the Biennale. It is a much-needed lesson in architecture.