Ideas Competition for a New Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale

Result

A long-running campaign to showcase Australian architecture and encourage the replacement of the aging Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale has been reactivated with Venice Biennale New Australian Pavilion: Di Stasio Ideas Competition. In an open competition, conceived to add momentum to growing support for the replacement of the current building, architects were invited to submit a conceptual proposal of their vision for a new Australian Pavilion. The unrestrictive nature of the project has encouraged some radical architectural solutions and aims to excite the imagination of both the public and the authorities.

Daniel Gibbs
Venice Biennale New Australian Pavilion competition entry
exterior view
© Daniel Gibbs

The shortlisted and winning proposals are exhibited at Heide Museum of Modern Art on digital screens, housed in a free-standing triangulated structure.

The professional finalists are:
Carr Architecture, Australia
O'Connor + Houle Architecture, Australia
Ashton Raggatt McDougall, Australia
Davide Marchetti, Italy
Denton Corker Marshall, Australia
McBride Charles Ryan, Australia

The pre-professional finalists are:
Nicholas Braun, Australia
Loïc Fumeaux & Amélie Poncety, Australia
Daniel Gibbs, Australia
Heeyoung Lee & Sukho Jang, USA
SPF15+, Australia.

The competition’s official judges are: photographer John Gollings, architect and writer Norman Day, architect Bridget Smyth and artist Callum Morton.

Visitors to Heide have the opportunity to vote in a People’s Choice Award.

Overview

The object of the exercise is to add to an ongoing momentum of support for the rebuilding of the Australian Pavilion, an invaluable cultural showcase of Australian artistic talent in Europe. The existing pavilion is dated and inflexible. It is hoped that the unrestrictive nature of the project will encourage some radical architectural solutions and excite the imagination of the public and the authorities.

Jury
Bill Henson: Artist and exhibitor at the Venice Art Biennale 1995
Norman Day: Practicing Architect, Architecture Critic for The Age, and Adjunct Professor of Architecture at RMIT University
John Gollings: Architectural photographer and project director of the 2004 “Opening the Door” Australian Virtual Pavilion: Unofficial Online Exhibition
Callum Morton: Artist and exhibitor at the Venice Art Biennale 2005
Bridget Smyth: Architect for the City of Sydney

Judging Process
One-Stage

Prize
Professional: Two business class tickets and one weeks accommodation in Venice Biennale
Pre-professional: One economy ticket and one weeks accommodation in Venice Biennale

Entry Fee
None

Entries
All entries must be submitted on disk and is to be delivered to:
DI STASIO COMPETITION
C/O 147 Chapel Street
St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia

Timetable
Announcement of winners: 6 May 2008

Promoter
Café Di Stasio

Official Website
http://www.distasio.com.au/