Nordic Pavilion Case Study

Architect: Sverre Fehn

Location: Venice, Italy

Completed: 1962

HISTORY

The Giardini della Biennale was developed by Napoleon Bonaparte, who converted the area from marshland to parkland.

The Nordic Pavilion was designed by Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn, and was completed in 1962. The design was selected from an original group of three, with the other submissions coming from Finland and Sweden.

CONTEXT

In terms of an exhibition space, the pavilion is masked by its impartiality, while in reality its features heavily dictate the exhibitors. What is stylistically expressed as an open performance space is interrupted by nature. The installations housed by the pavilion have had to work around the fragility of the upper structure, as well as the exposure to natural weather conditions.

The poured staircase which flanks the west serves as a gathering space for visitors to explore. The change in elevation allows for new perspectives and lines of sight through the surrounding park.

SITE

Giardini della Biennale is a public parkland in the historic city of Venice, Italy. The park hosts 30 permanent pavilions which serve as exhibition space for works of art during the city’s Beinnale Art Festival. The park is bounded to the south and west by the Rio Dei Giardini and the Venetian Lagoon, respectively.

The park was established in the early 19th century, and features many mature trees and a spectacular canopy cover. The park is flocked with small gardens and organized to create various plazas and defined spaces.

The Nordic pavilion specifically features doors that open to the North and West, and occupies a plot which opens to the main plaza of the park. The mass walls to the South and East, as well as the brise soleil and canopy cover, filter the strong sun of the subtropical climate.

Physical Model

Plaster of Paris & Basswood

Concepts

Fehn simultaneously incorporated and inverted concepts of Nordic architecture in his design. The design was heavily influenced by the ability to allow light into the space, as well as serve a variety of installations through its uncomplicated floor plan. Fehn sought to impart Nordic ideals while respecting the necessities of the destination county of Italy.

For example, the choice of concrete over timber beams to ensure longevity, as well as reflect sunlight like a Nordic snowfall would, was intentional. The design also embodies vernacular architecture in the truest sense, in that it fully embraces its surroundings by opening itself to them; in contrast, a building in a Nordic county may completely close out the harsh elements as a vernacular response.

The pavilion also imparts a distinct sense of neutrality that Nordic countries have become known for. The building does not impose itself on the exhibitions within it, but rather provides an economical space to define them. Deeper investigations have explored the political implications of the pavilion during the Cold War era, but these only expand the enigma the pavilion has become.

Details

The building incorporates distinct modern details which have stood the test of time. Although not without fault, the pavilion is 63 years old and still appears contemporary. In a future where simplicity is an abstract, the pavilion brings the concept to reality with its forced exposure to the elements and demand of respect for the surroundings. The splayed cantilevered corner originally housed a large tree between, but that has since been removed.

Materials

The pavilion juxtaposes smooth white concrete against warm wood tones which frame the doors. The concrete itself was made of specific white sand and cement, as well as crushed marble to achieve the desired appearance. Although the floors were originally black Norwegian granite, they were eventually worn away by visitors’ feet and replaced with the Trani marble seen today. The fibre glass canopy which covers the bris soleil has deteriorated repeatedly due to exposure and has required replacement, more than once.

The trees which the parkland so heavily respects are ironically, mostly invasive an non-native to the area. Although mostly dead due to compression of root systems and inadequate watering, the trees in the pavilion provide a stark contrast to the smooth texture and colour of the surrounding building.

Structure

The major east and south mass walls are mode of poured concrete. The beams above comprising the brise soleil are also poured concrete, each measuring 6cm thick by 100cm high.

The east-west beams bear on the north-south beams below them, which in turn bear on the mass walls below.

In some instances where the beams have been cut away for tree growth, the lower beams have been suspended by cable from the upper beams, creating a complex load distribution and cantilever pattern.