TERROIR

Abstract

The Biennale is the most important event on the international contemporary architecture calendar, visited by thousands of the world's most influential architects, designers, urban planners, developers and critics. The 11th International Architecture Exhibition, directed by Aaron Betsky, took place in Venice from 14 September to 23 November 2008. The Australian Pavilion contained an exhibition, entitled 'Abundant' curated by a creative team led by Neil Durbach, of 180 Australian practices and interpretative models based on an existing project and responding to the director's theme: 'Out there: architecture beyond building'. and TERROIR had 4 models exhibited, each of which was drawn from a different project. However, the models were all built from the same (box board) material which is associated with the work of the practice (Blythe) and all deconstructed and reconstructed key organizational aspects of the projects, thus contributing a taxonomy of key TERROIR projects which together were no longer single projects but 'one project'. The research goes further than simple formal manipulations but shows the potential for persistent and related strategies and spatial arrangements commonly held between projects to be articulated.