Dierendonckblancke, ETH Studio Universum Carrousel Journey and Bovenbouw in the Biennale de São Paulo

Dierendonckblancke, Studio Universum Carrousel Journey led by Jan de Vylder at ETH Zurich and Bovenbouw architecten are participating in the core exhibition ‘Architectures of the Everyday’ at the XII International Architecture Biennale in São Paolo.

Bovenbouw approaches the theme by reconstructing a wall from the Bovenbouw offices with a layout of drawings and models for three projects: the renovation of three historically important buildings in the Leysstraat in Antwerp; the ‘Drie Plantanen’ care home in Ostend and the restoration of the town hall in Antwerp. They are working with study models, colour tests, photographic contact sheets, material samples, postcards, building plans, paper reliefs and post-it notes.

Dierendonckblancke’s presentation will include the projects ‘12 kameren’ (a private home), Riemst (an elementary school), OC Kasterlee (a community centre), and Het GielsBos (a healthcare facility for disabled people). Four short films, made by Filip Dujardin, will show the projects in use. The exhibition includes a reduced and adapted version of the exhibition ‘Praxis’ by BOZAR and A+ Architecture in Belgium.

The curators showed ETH Studio Universum Carrousel Journey led by Jan de Vylder a fire escape staircase in the venue. A quite simple and anonymous staircase but, nevertheless, a relatively good one. At the same time, the curators drew attention to the sustained interest in drawing shown by ETH Studio and previously Mendrisio and Lausanne.

The idea of green columns came to the fore during the preparatory talks. This was connected to the idea of drawing but also to the fact that how things appear is often quite different to the reality. This soon became the ultimate idea for the specific context and the proposed theme of ‘the everyday’ was confirmed.