‘Endgültige Form wird von der Architektin am Bau bestimmt.’ Pavilion of SWITZERLAND
19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia
“Endgültige Form wird von der Architektin am Bau bestimmt.” (“Final form will be defined by the archi- tect on site”) is the guiding principle of the curators, inviting visitors to take part in building an exhibition. The group of four architects — Elena Chiavi, Kathrin Füglister, Amy Perkins and Myriam Uzor — behind the project, works with embedded artist Axelle Stiefel to explore the legacy of Lisbeth Sachs (1914–2002), one of the first women architects in Switzerland. Sachs, a contemporary of Bruno Giacometti, designed the Kunsthalle for the 1958 Swiss Exhibition for Women’s Work (SAFFA) in Zurich. The curators revive Sachs’ short-lived Kunsthalle in the Giardini, where Giacometti’s Pavilion is located. The juxtaposition of the two pavilions creates a playful and dynamic design, inviting visitors to experience architecture as a living, evolving space. The intervention breaks boundaries between inside and outside, transforming the space into a multi-sensory experience.
A sound installation further enhances the exhibition, introducing recordings from the field. These sounds give life to the space and invite visitors to listen and engage, turning the Swiss Pavilion into a shared, participatory experience that reflects on inclusivity, history, and the act of building.
