Open!Platform
Open!Residence
Location: Venice, Italy
Size: 2100 m2
Programmatic: reconstruction
Architects: SA lab + ludi architects
Consultant: Khristina Ots
Status: concept
Year: 2020
Press
OPEN!PLATFORM/OPEN!RESIDENCE - the concept of transformation of The Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale into a cross-disciplinary residence.
The Russian pavilion is considered wider than the building and the space inside it. It is considered as a starting point, opening up opportunities for engaging adjacent territories and spaces, pushing apart physical barriers, creating new volumes and opportunities for interdisciplinary discussion. The approach is not only limited to the park, but also includes the water area of the Lagoon.
The territory and the pavilion are jointly transformed into a single PLATFORM and are considered as a single organism. The pavilion, garden and lagoon are physically connected by a modular adaptive structure, which will become the second contour of the building during the reconstruction. It is formed using a natural algorithm for the growth of living organisms - cellular automata. One cell - one module that can be programmed and used for different scenarios. For the period of using as a studio - they will accommodate a workplaces, a bar, a discussion platform, places for prototypes, digital and physical archives, on pontoons - a meeting place and performances.
The basis of the adaptive structure will be the aluminum frame, in fact, scaffolding - a system that allows you to easily and quickly transform modules to changing functions and tasks. The design consists of two main elements: an aluminum frame and a blue mesh, which gives the structure volume and shape. Blue refers to the water that captures Venice.
STUDIO FORMAT
For the duration of work as a studio, the structure “grows” from the lagoon, like a system of temporary objects, first on the water, and then gradually moving into the park area and in the final phase surrounds the entire pavilion, giving it a new shape and silhouette. A gradually growing wave enveloping space symbolizes creative progress and the flow of new ideas.
The first modules of the temporary studio may appear even before the official opening of the Biennale. Their appearance on the pontoon in the water area of the lagoon and the gradual advancement / development into the park zone will cause interest and draw additional attention to what is happening in the pavilion. The specialists taking part in the project can already begin to gather, events will be organized to introduce others to the future program and just fun holidays. The silhouette of bright blue modules that splash like a wave from the lagoon and continue to move in the park, gradually changing in size and shape will change the familiar panorama and will be a living invasion of a static architectural environment.
The structure gradually penetrates into the pavilion through openings, creating spaces for work and discussion not only in the park area, but also in the pavilion itself. Due to the modularity, the work spaces of a temporary studio can be changed and moved throughout the pavilion and its territory, depending on the issues discussed, the format of the discussion or the number of participants.
RECONSTRUCTION FORMAT
During the reconstruction, the structure naturally begins to fulfill the function of scaffolding. And after each season, it can take on a new form, spreading through the territory of the pavilion, garden and water area. Thus, lively work processes and discussions can continue beyond the time and physical framework of the Biennale.
The pavilion in the traditional format is an enclosed space that works for several months during the biennale. The concept involves the transformation of the pavilion into a cross-disciplinary residence / platform where specialists from different professions will be able to communicate, share experiences and generate projects. This can happen not only in the format of a temporary studio, where invited experts are carefully selected and combined by a single architectural project. A temporary studio can be the beginning of the pavilion in a similar format of the residence after reconstruction and even year-round and can be used to discuss any other relevant topics.
Platform / residence - an open flexible space that has many scenarios and adapts for them and residents. It enables the emergence of new formats and dialogue between architects, artists, physicists, biologists and researchers. Residents will be able to work and located 24/7 in the pavilion.
Until now, the creation of an annual exposition required transportation and expenditure of resources, now projects can be created in the pavilion itself and in the adjacent territory. The platform / residence provides an opportunity to attract all interested specialists with competencies to discussions.
Open! Residence / Open! Platform - it is not only the venue of the Biennale, it is an open platform for dialogue of different disciplines and the creation of something really relevant. Transformation from a static object to a dynamic structure. This is a fundamentally new object that is constantly changing in terms of form and content.
The historical heritage of the pavilion remains untouched in its pristine structure, with premises of the correct form and two-part division into levels. The new structure visually contrasts with the historical heritage, integrates into it if necessary and thereby emphasizes its significance, but it is the one which personifies the dynamically developing future. Visitors to the temporary studio will have the opportunity to see the space of the pavilion, devoid of exposure, and, thanks to the mobile structure, will be able to see the pavilion from unexpected points of perception both inside and outside. Participants will be involved in the discussion process, as well as in the process of changing structure and space.
