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Recording of the Pavilion of Finland's inauguration panel discussion is now available

Inauguration event discussion photo 2 VB21 1

Wood architecture was the hot topic in the event held in conjunction with the inauguration of Finland's New Standards exhibition. The recording of the panel discussion can be watched on the website newstandards.info.

For the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, the Pavilion of Finland’s exhibition New Standards presents the history of a uniquely Finnish approach to mass-produced housing in the twentieth century. The exhibition is curated by Laura Berger, Philip Tidwell and Kristo Vesikansa. The official inauguration event was held online on Thursday May 20th. In addition to the Pavilion of Finland, also the USA Pavilion and the Nordic Pavilion present exhibitions strongly related to timber construction.

In the inauguration event we heard an engaging discussion hosted by Phineas Harper, Director of Open House Worldwide, with panelists Paul Andersen, curator of the USA Pavilion, architect Siv Helene Strangeland of the Nordic Pavilion and our curator Philip Tidwell. In addition to introducing the concepts behind each exhibition, the panelists shared their thoughts on the future of timber construction, standardisation and the relationship between culture and timber architecture. The link to the recording can be found here.

More than 200 people gathered to listen to Finland’s inauguration speeches and panel discussion. In the Venice Giardini, during the first two preview days of the Biennale Architettura 2021, well over a thousand people – invited guests and media representatives – visited the New Standards exhibition.