London Met’s The Cass Architecture tutor, Peter St John, is to design the British Pavilion at next year’s Venice Biennale.
Date: 19 October 2017
As one half of esteemed architectural practice, Caruso St John, and in partnership with artist Marcus Taylor, the trio have won the British Council’s open call to design the British Pavilion at this world-renowned contemporary art exhibition.
The Pavilion competition looked for ‘bold and imaginative’ proposals for a flagship installation that was able to explore contemporary British architecture and its relationship with the rest of the world. Caruso St John, along with Marcus Taylor, came up with the ‘Island’ concept which is based on a quote from Shakespeare’s The Tempest: ‘Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises; Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.’
Peter St John leads a Postgraduate Unit at The Cass, teaching on the Professional Diploma in Architecture RIBA2. He commented: “It is an honour for us to have been selected to curate the British Pavilion. In the year before Brexit, we plan to transform the building into a generous public space that can be a popular meeting point within the gardens of the Biennale.”
Sarah Mann is the Director of Architecture Design Fashion at the British Council. She commented: “The open call generated a strong field of proposals but the panel was unanimous in its selection. The uncertainties that exist in today’s world give the British Pavilion a new imperative and ‘Island’ promises to be a thought-provoking installation that I am confident will spark debate.”
This impressive and exciting Venice Biennale appointment comes just a year after Caruso St John won the RIBA Stirling Prize for their design for Damian Hirst’s gallery in south London.
The Venice Biennale will run from 26 May to 25 November 2018. The exhibition will focus on ‘Freespace’ and ‘generosity, thoughtfulness and a desire to engage.’
