The pavilion attempts to showcase NAI’ interpretation of the 2012 Biennale theme ‘Common Ground’. Through the pavilion, NAI tries to solve a mammoth problem of empty, underutilised buildings by offering alternative uses of those spaces. The exhibit tries to showcase the full potential of an empty building.
The pavilion shifts the attention of the designers from using a vacant land and converting into architectural masterpiece to using an old, vacant building and reincarnate it into an architectural delight. Petra Blaisse has converted the pavilion, a space lying vacant for the past 40 years, into a whole world of possibilities.
Every five minutes the situation in the pavilion will transform to provide a visually astounding transformation. This is achieved through curtains gliding along tracks on the ceiling which constantly reconfigure the space. The curtains are made of panels with varying levels of opacity, including fine gauze, heavy velvet and shiny metallics.
The 2012 Biennale entry is the sequel to the Vacant NL, the Dutch submission to the International Architecture Exhibition in 2010. For this year, the designer has used one single mobile object that will occupy the space for three months and emphasise the unique qualities of the building. The mobile object will flow through the interior, re-configure its organisation and create new rooms along the way.
The Pavilion will be on display from 29 August to 25 November 2012.
