Venice Takeaway: Ideas to Change British Architecture presented the work of ten architectural teams who had travelled the world to seek imaginative responses to the theme, Common Ground. The exhibition charted their course in Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand and the USA and presented their research and ideas.
Venice Takeaway was curated by Vanessa Norwood, Head of Exhibitions at the Architectural Association and Vicky Richardson, the former Director of Architecture Design Fashion at the British Council. The curators wanted to reverse the way national pavilions are traditionally used. Rather than showcasing the best of British architecture, the pavilion exhibition broadens our horizons on what is possible in architecture by bringing back new ideas to the UK from around the globe.
"Asking 'What can we learn from other countries?' is at the heart of what the British Council is about."
Vicky Richardson
Ten architectural teams travelled to ten different countries. The teams explored projects, buildings, approaches, tools and ideas; conducting numerous interviews and meetings to learn from local architects. In response, the teams then looked at how they could adopt and adapt those ideas for how we make buildings in the UK.
Within the pavilion a Research Emporium housed the photography, drawing, film and objects collected while travelling. The outer gallery spaces presented the Takeaway Proposals; the installations and objects from each team which encapsulated their ideas that could change British architecture.
