La Biennale Architettura 2018
24.08.18

It was a thrill to visit the Venice Architecture Biennale; a longstanding must for any architecture aficionado. We were inspired not merely by the incredible showing for this its 16th year, but more so by the backdrop of iconic global pavilions that have played host to biennale for decades. It’s always exciting to see the work of Alvar Aalto up close (Finnish Pavilion, 1956), but we were also taken by the similarly restrained approach of Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn (Nordic Pavilion, 1962), pictured above. Other highlights included Carlo Scarpa’s famed courtyard, awash in a sea of green ivy (Italian Pavilion, 1951), and the newly restored Canada Pavilion by Italian architect Alberico Barbiano di Belgiojoso, heir to BBPR who designed the original structure in 1958. Venice is often criticised for its crush of tourists, however la biennale and the Giardini di Castello were a welcome reprieve, with not a gondolier in sight. Photography courtesy of Archdaily.