The Parallel Pavillons at the Venice Biennale
proposal for the Swiss pavillon at the Venice Architecture Biennale
in collaboration with Yony Santos, Damien Greder, Francelle Cane
Swiss architecture is internationally recognized for its craftsmanship and material precision. Less attention, however, has been given to its engagement with digital realities. As our relationship to space and place evolves, how do digitalization, immersion, and gamification influence Swiss architecture, public space, and civic life? THE PARALLEL PAVILIONS confronts this complex question by digitizing and exporting the Swiss Pavilion in Venice across the Swiss territory - into the public houses of architecture that shape architectural discourse nationwide. On one hand, by bringing the virtual model of the Giardini pavilion to various architecture centers in Switzerland, the project opens a national conversation around digital culture in architecture, leveraging the centers’ geographical diversity and their distinct curatorial perspectives. On the other hand, the physical exhibition in Giacometti’s pavilion in Venice showcases and makes visible the richness and plurality of Swiss architectural institutions. As a global public event, the Venice Biennale acts as a catalyst for cultural exchange and social cohesion. This proposal seeks to reposition the visitor - not as a passive observer but as an active participant - blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality. While the architecture centers function as platforms to address urgent contemporary issues, they also offer an opportunity to explore new forms of exhibition, grounded in the current Swiss context and its digital potential.
