Becoming
Spanish Pavilion
16th Venice Biennale, IT
2018
Through the lens of diverse learning environments, BECOMING explores the future of national architecture. The exhibition presents innovative approaches to the discipline by showcasing over 400 contributions collected from an open call that engaged dozens of architecture schools nationwide. It explores diverse mediums, interests, and topics that demand novel tools and methodologies. Our contribution consists of two different design research projects: "Tokyo Iconic Metabolizing," produced in 2017 at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and "Learning from the City that Learned from Itself," a Bachelor's Thesis completed in 2017 at ETSAM (UPM). The first one examines the metabolic flows of urban upgrades in Tokyo by analyzing 20 case studies where iconic buildings have undergone processes of replacement since the mid-20th century. The second one challenges the conventional notion that permanence is the only criterion for designing urban environments. By studying multiple case studies worldwide, with a particular focus on Kumbh Mela in India, the research investigates the role of ephemeral, reversible, and adaptable urban configurations and their potential to inform the formal city.
Author:
Manuel Bouzas
Curator:
Atxu Amann
Photographer: Imagen Subliminal
Ana Matos
Organizers:
Ministry of Development Government of Spain, AC/E, AECID, Arquia Foundation
