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Francien van Westrenen: The Latest Architecture and News

5 National Pavilions at the 2021 Venice Biennale that Explore Sustainability and Climate Change

The 17th Venice Architecture Biennale is currently unfolding, revealing a wide range of answers to the question "How will we live together". With 60 national pavilions, numerous contributions of invited architects from all around the world and several collateral events, this year's edition restates the Biennale's role as a platform for inquiry, exploration, and disruptive thinking in architecture. Curator Hashim Sarkis' original statement called upon architects "to imagine spaces in which we can generously live together." Recent circumstances have made the question even more relevant, prompting a holistic re-evaluation of how the world as a collective can face changes and challenges of an unprecedented scale from the disrupting role of technology, to inequality, mass migration and climate change. The following national contributions reflect on "how will we live together" amidst climate change, exploring ideas for a more sustainable future.

The Pavilion of the Netherlands at the 2021 Venice Biennale Deconstructs Typical Public Spaces

Titled "Who is We", the Pavilion of the Netherlands at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia deconstructs normal concepts of space, visualizing what is often overlooked behind the structures that typically define urban spaces. Curated by a team led by Francien van Westrenen, the pavilion will be on display from 22 May to 21 November 2021.

The Pavilion of the Netherlands at the 2021 Venice Biennale Deconstructs Typical Public Spaces - Image 1 of 4The Pavilion of the Netherlands at the 2021 Venice Biennale Deconstructs Typical Public Spaces - Image 2 of 4The Pavilion of the Netherlands at the 2021 Venice Biennale Deconstructs Typical Public Spaces - Image 3 of 4The Pavilion of the Netherlands at the 2021 Venice Biennale Deconstructs Typical Public Spaces - Image 4 of 4The Pavilion of the Netherlands at the 2021 Venice Biennale Deconstructs Typical Public Spaces - More Images+ 2