The International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia is the world’s largest, and Europe’s most prestigious architecture event and this year is its 18th edition. Curator Lesley Lokko was born and raised in Ghana and now works in the UK as an architect and writer. Lokko has invited architects from around the world to contribute to the exhibition. We have previously participated at Biennale Architettura 2014 in the Nordic Pavilion when it was curated by Sweden. This year, we will participate in the main exhibition at the Arsenale as one of the few representatives from Northern Europe.
White Arkitekter invited to the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia
On the 20th of May the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia will open. We are happy to announce that we have been invited to Biennale Architettura 2023 curated by Lesley Lokko, themed “The Laboratory of the Future”. Lesley Lokko is putting together the exhibition as a workshop for innovation and inspiration. The aim of the theme is to contribute to solving two of the greatest challenges of our time, decarbonisation, and decolonisation.
It is a great honour to be invited to contribute to a context like the Biennale Architettura. Our mission is to use the art of architecture to enable the transition to sustainable life. Our approach is to use design as a tool to seek solutions to the sustainability challenge.
Alexandra Hagen, CEO, White Arkitekter
– That makes it possible for us to contribute to a context like this. We have reached a point where spectacular design is not enough to be highly ranked. Architecture that does not address the sustainability issue in a feasible way is not relevant to either our present or future, continues Alexandra Hagen.
Sustainability is something that has permeated our business for a long time. We established an in-house sustainability department in the 1990s. Today, we are aiming for the goal that all projects the company is involved in will be climate neutral by 2030 onwards. Initiatives such as the New European Bauhaus launched by the European Commission in 2021, but also the Swedish Parliament’s agreement on a new architecture policy for 2030, have been some of the several contributing factors to the fact that issues related to sustainable architecture have become an increasingly common evaluation criteria in the industry in recent years.
This is an incredibly exciting time for all players in the construction industry. Those of us in the industry, now and for the next decade, must solve the greatest challenge we have ever faced – climate neutrality. This will open the door to new thinking and creativity in design, construction techniques and economic models.
Alexandra Hagen, CEO, White Arkitekter
– This year’s biennial will be a place for knowledge sharing and inspiration to help accelerate the pace. Lokko has set the ambition that the exhibition itself will have a low climate footprint, which has made us approach the task in a new way, continues Alexandra Hagen.
The 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia runs from 20 May to 26 November 2023.
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