For the Venice Architecture Biennale 2010, curator Rietveld Landscape has been invited by the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI) to make a statement about the potential of landscape architecture to contribute to resolving the complex challenges that our society faces today. These challenges call for innovation; for a culture centred on design skills and cooperation between scientists and creative pioneers. Our installation ‘Vacant NL, where architecture meets ideas’ calls upon the Dutch government to make use of the enormous potential of inspiring, unoccupied buildings from the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries for innovation within the creative knowledge economy.

Rietveld Landscape is curator of the Dutch submission for the Vencie Architecture Biennale 2010. We have put together a multidisciplinary team to design the installation, consisting of people with an interest in the innovative potential of vacant property and international experience in the creative industry: Jurgen Bey (designer), Joost Grootens (graphic designer), Ronald Rietveld (landscape architect), Erik Rietveld (philosopher/ economist), Saskia van Stein (projectleader NAI), and Barbara Visser (visual artist). Landstra & De Vries and Claus Wiersma (designer) are responsible for the construction of the exhibition.

Award: Dutch Design Award 2011 and Rotterdam Design Prize 2011