2008 is the 20th anniversary of Café Di Stasio. The cafe will celebrate all year with an ongoing program of support for the Australian Pavilion in Venice and the Architectural Biennale 2008 in particular. Rinaldo Di Stasio is an enthusiastic patron of art and architecture in Australia. To further his patronage, he sponsored an architectural competition for the design of a new pavilion in the Giardini of the Venice Biennale. Norman Day, The Age architectural writer, advised on the implementation of the competition and the graphic designer David Pidgeon collaborated with Callum Morton, one of Australia’s artists at the last Biennale, on the display and promotion of the entrants.
After announcing 56 shortlisted projects in May 2008 and narrowing the list down to 11 finalists in June, the organizers announced on July 28 two winning projects for the pavilion: Davide Marchetti, Italy, for the best professional entry and SPF15+, Australia, for the best pre-professional design.
The object of the exercise was to add to an ongoing momentum of support for the rebuilding of the Australian Pavilion, an invaluable cultural showcase of Australian artistic talent in Europe. The existing pavilion is dated and inflexible. With the unrestrictive nature of the project, the organizers encouraged radical architectural solutions that will excite the imagination of the public and the authorities.
PROFESSIONAL
Davide Marchetti, Italy
PRE-PROFESSIONAL
SPF15+, Australia
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