Within the bustling environment of the Venice Biennale, amidst its lively atmosphere, there exists a tranquil and introspective corner, a compact space that warmly welcomes visitors with a contemplative aura. This corner is none other than Carlo Scarpa's sculpture garden located at the Giardini's Central Pavilion (in the patio of the Giardini, accessible through a side door on the ground floor).
The garden features three elliptical columns that provide support for a rectangular roof in which three circles were carved. Enclosed by walls adorned with curtains of leaves, the serene ambience is further enhanced by the presence of a peaceful pond, offering a soothing soundtrack. The interplay of light, shadow, and water beautifully unfolds within this space - a serene refuge amid the swirling chaos.
This year, for the 18th International Architecture Exhibition (until November 26th), the garden hosts an installation courtesy of Oakland-based Hood Design Studio, founded by US landscape architect Walter Hood.
Entitled "Native(s) Lifeways", the installation is a miniature version of Hood Design Studio's plans for an infrastructure composed of walkways and pavilions amidst the wetlands of South Carolina.
The inspiration for the project comes from the erasure of Black cultural landscapes in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Lowcountry, under threat due to wetland development and diminishing rural land tenure. These landscapes, spanning 12,000 square miles from North Carolina to Florida, encompass the history and interconnections between the enslaved Gullah Geechee people, plantations, Caroline Gold rice, sweetgrass baskets, and Africa.
The rural agricultural settlement of Phillips has transformed into a modest residential community along the historic Route 1, maintaining ties to its adjacent plantation landscape. Beyond its cultivated land, the surrounding area, known as the "overgrown", features native flora such as pine, oak, and palm.
Hood Design Studio's proposal suggests that Phillips has the potential for rejuvenation, it re-examines the term "native" and explores alternative language to critically consider the emergence of hybrid formations in both indigenous and foreign landscapes. Unfortunately, the so-called "progress" has replaced the soft shoulder of Route 1 with kerbs and gutters, eroding its historic significance as a landscape celebrating the Gullah Geechee culture.
Hood proposes therefore an Arts Lifeway within the creek wetland of Phillips, harmoniously integrated with grasses and reeds. There is a component of craftsmanship behind the project as the design of the pavilions built using renewable wood sourced from the overgrown directly moves from the large rice-toting baskets used by men during harvest.
At the Scarpa Garden, Hood Design Studio created a pathway and a series of timber structures again inspired by basketmaking influencing the columns.
Hood Design Studio stands at the forefront of projects that explore the interplay between natural and contemporary spaces, while pushing the boundaries of architecture. A notable recent undertaking by the studio is the design of a campus for visual computing company NVIDIA. The campus features an intriguing hybrid treehouse-like structure that seamlessly integrates the interior and exterior spaces, taking inspiration from the regional landscape of the South Bay. This design incorporates an impressive array of plants and trees, emphasizing a strong connection with nature.
In the Scarpa Garden at the Central Pavilion, the studio established meaningful connections with the Venetian landscape, offering a tribute to hybrid formations and diverse crafts and materials. The project beautifully harmonizes with its surroundings, showcasing how craftsmanship, traditions, and modernism can be artfully combined to provide us with a path towards a more ecological and ethical future, where the fusion of past and present creates spaces that are both innovative and respectful of the environment.
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