Architecture Studio Honored with Award during 2018 Venice Biennale

August 29, 2018 admin 3-min. read

NC State Design at Venice Biennale exhibition photo

Students from NC State College of Design Honored with Architecture Award during the 2018 Venice Biennale

An inquiry of innovation, forward thinking, and global design has inspired the work of students at North Carolina State University’s College of Design School of Architecture. Eleven students who participated in an advanced architecture studio, Airport Design (ARC 503), were invited to exhibit their work, “Airports of the Future: Global Design Thinking,” during the 2018 Venice Biennale. This exhibition has been honored by the European Cultural Center (ECC) with The Architecture University Project Award 2018 for its contribution to research, for highlighting the significance of airport space, and for valuing the experiential journey.

Five student teams each created designs for airports in different cities around the globe, integrating advanced transportation technologies while considering their location’s culture, geography, and economy. Starting with the concept of the airport as a vital urban site of connection and exchange, the student teams developed radical new building typologies—pushing the limits of what an airport can be in an increasingly networked world. With the guidance of Professor of Architecture Wayne Place, Ph.DP., and Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA; Ana-Maria Drughi; and Joshua Stephens, AIA, NCARB, of Fentress Architects, the student teams developed comprehensive strategies for their chosen sites, including proposals that focused on issues of sustainability, ecology, building technology, and social justice.

Their project models and video concepts are on display through November 25, 2018, in Venice at the Time Space Existence exhibition hosted by the European Cultural Centre. The exhibition explores imaginative concepts of future innovation in air travel and anticipates the constantly evolving global challenges of airport design.

Participating Students

Arpitha Belur • Rosa McDonald
Emily Doyle • Thanh Nguyen
Ingrid Fullerton • Daoru Wang
Parisa Javani • Cameron Westbrook
Michael Juriga • Baxter Wilson
Sheyda Livingston

About the Biennale

The Venice Biennale is one of the most prestigious international cultural events. By inviting the world’s leading design thinkers, visionaries, and makers, the Biennale consistently cultivates a progressive voice that inspires, advocates, and connects a global audience. The Biennale and associated exhibitions are hosted throughout the island of Venice, imbuing the city’s historic past as an international center for arts and culture with modern significance and maintaining Venice’s status as a premier destination. All told, over a quarter million people visited the last Architecture Biennale, with millions more accessing the exhibition via press and other media forms.

Exhibition Info

The exhibition opened in May and runs through November 25, 2018.
Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Closed Tuesday. Entry is free.

The Time-Space-Existence exhibition is an international exhibition organized by the European Cultural Centre with the support of the Global Art Affairs Foundation which runs parallel to the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale.

About Palazzo Bembo

The College of Design exhibition is featured on the first floor of the historic Palazzo Bembo, overlooking the Grand Canal just a few steps from the centrally-located Rialto Bridge. The Palazzo was built by the noble Bembo family in the 15th century, and its architectural style reflects the Venetian influences of its original period and those from subsequent restorations. Among the ancient families of Venetian aristocracy, the Bembo lineage includes saints, leaders, heroes, and writers.