Singapore-based firm WOHA announces their contribution to the XV International Architecture Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia (28 May-27 November 2016), as part of the GAA Foundation’s collateral exhibition TIME SPACE EXISTENCE. Located at the Palazzo Bembo, Fragments of an Urban Future answers to the most pressing issues facing megacities today— unprecedented urbanization, accelerating climate change, and the need for preservation of tropical biodiversity. A selection of WOHA’s most recent work shows how the firm’s vertical ecosystems transform these challenges into inspiring models for sustainable building.
Three projects selected from WOHA’s innovative portfolio are the centerpiece of the immersive multimedia exhibition, designed to draw visitors into the vertical environments. Among them is PARKROYAL on Pickering (2013), an innovative hotel that has been celebrated for its topographical architecture and the blurring of boundaries between building and landscape; SkyVille @ Dawson (2015) boldly redefines the model for social housing development with its sky villages and lush gardens on multiple ground levels; and the Oasia Downtown Hotel (2016), enveloped by a living green façade, embraces the notion of breathing architecture and reimagines urban ecosystems for both humans and living creatures alike.
The exhibition transports visitors to WOHA’s projects in Singapore, where hyperdense, towering garden cities are replacing worn out urban paradigms. Through porous façades, airy pathways, and communal gardens, the immersive experience hints at a utopian urban future—but one that is already taking shape. Grounded in the context of the tropical Asian megacity, Fragments of an Urban Future offers an enlightening template for architects, designers, and engineers, as well as developers and investors throughout the tropical belt and beyond.
The opening reception will take place at the Palazzo Bembo, Riva del Carbon #4793, 30124 Venezia, on May 27th at 4:00 pm, where the architects will present their latest publication Garden City Mega City alongside Patrick Bingham-Hall, author and publisher of the book.
Packed with photographs, diagrams, and colorful infographics, the book presents a compelling case for re-examining and re-planning the mega cities of the 21st century. Garden City Mega City is timely and challenging for anyone concerned by the global consequences of the unsustainable growth of those cities. WOHA’s presentation is supported by the DesignSingapore Council.
