ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL 2023 – IT’S KIND OF A CIRCULAR STORY

The AMAA architecture studio is present at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale with an unprecedented project. This involves the architectural and morphological recovery of a complex site: the former NATO base of Monte Calvarina. AMAA’s installation in the main exhibition, curated by Lesley Lokko and located at the Corderie, is titled “It’s Kind of a Circular Story”. The intervention defines a virtuous example of reinvention of high-carbon military structures into new centers for zero-emission innovation. A heavy model of the Monte Calvarina project rests on a delicate table made from salvaged brass pieces. The table, designed by AMAA, was made using brass sheets intended for disposal, a material resulting from the production process of the De Castelli company. AMAA has given new purpose to these waste items, demonstrating the aesthetic and functional possibilities of sustainable design. Some details of the table’s conception process are the result of dialogue and discussion with Arcangelo Sassolino, artist and friend of the studio. In particular, it is the choice to achieve the autonomy of the table with only the perforated plates without the addition of further support layers, allowing the goal to be achieved through the materials and the multiple relationships between surface and depth. To support the weight of the model, the brass sheets rest on a series of sturdy metal sawhorses, a contemporary interpretation of traditional carpenter’s sawhorses.

ARCHITECT Studio AMAA
PLACE Architecture Biennale
YEAR 2023
PROJECT PHOTO Mikael Olsson