Visitors stand in the Danish Pavilion of the 13th Venice Biennale on August 28, 2012 in Venice, which houses the “Possible Greenland” exhibition curated by Greenlandic geologist Minik Rosing. — AFP Photo
VENICE: Architects from around the world have converged on Venice for the Biennale show which opens on Wednesday, showcasing designs aimed at bringing urban designs more in touch with the general public.
The renovation of working class areas, designs for times of economic crisis and the reconstruction of cities following natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis have taken centre stage at the world's largest architecture fair.
The designs housed in the spectacular Arsenale - an old naval shipyard and military base - and the nearby Giardini park on the lagoon include some by leading architects including Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid and Renzo Piano.
“The crux is to mend the fracture between architecture and civil society,”Biennale president Paolo Baratta said.
This year's theme is “Common Ground” - intended as interaction between architects and the population as well as between designers themselves.
The exhibition has been designed by British architect David Chipperfield - most famous for his work on MuseumIsland in Berlin - and spreads out over 10,000 square metres (107,600 square feet) with a total of 119 participants.
Among the most eye-catching projects is the installation by Japan's Kazuyo Sejima for the reconstruction of Mijato-jima island, which was destroyed by the tsunami last year - a theme which is echoed by the Japanese pavilion.