Intervention for James — Electa / Biennale Bookshop Pavilion

This project proposes an architectural intervention within the Electa / Biennale Bookshop Pavilion in the Giardini of Venice. It operates simultaneously as a continuation of the balloon animal study and as an independent investigation into minimal architectural intervention.

The existing pavilion, built in 1991 for the Venice Biennale, is a modest, single-storey structure set lightly within the Giardini landscape. Thirty meters long and six meters wide, it is linear, compact, and tectonically legible. Its dominant feature is an oversized copper roof that reads as an abstract book cover or hull. Beneath it, a glazed band and exposed structural frame create a transparent envelope that allows views both inward and outward.

The pavilion’s circulation is straightforward: one entry, one exit, and a single linear path of movement. Shelving lines the perimeter, preserving transparency. The extended roof shelters and frames, transforming function into attention. The building is materially driven — patinating copper, dark steel, warm timber, and glass — and proportionally imbalanced, with the roof visually outweighing the body beneath it.

It is a clear, rational object. It is also sensorially restrained.

Study of the Pavilion

Form

A long, low, linear volume dominated by its oversized copper roof/awning. The roof establishes a strong silhouette and theatrical presence despite the pavilion’s small footprint. Beneath it sits a light glazed band and exposed structural frame. The pavilion reads as a compact architectural object positioned among the larger national pavilions of the Giardini.

Color

Color is derived from material authenticity. The copper roof evolves through weathering, becoming the primary chromatic identity of the building. Secondary tones emerge from steel, timber, and glass — dark structural lines, warm wood grain, and reflective transparency.

Texture

Texture arises from contrast:

• Copper — smooth and reflective, gradually matte and variegated.

• Steel and timber — crisp edges and warm grain.

• Glass — slick, planar, and visually lightweight.

The pavilion celebrates visible tectonics and crafted material articulation.

Proportion

Modest in scale yet intentionally imbalanced. The oversized roof dominates the enclosed volume below, reinforcing the metaphor of a “book cover” protecting its contents. This deliberate disproportion gives the pavilion an iconic presence.

Circulation

Linear and scenographic. Visitors approach under the overhang, pass through a single threshold, and move along a clear path. The act of browsing unfolds as a visible performance both inside and beneath the awning.

Degree of Enclosure

The pavilion transitions from open to enclosed:

• Under the roof: sheltered, semi-exterior space.

• Glazed façade: visually open, physically enclosed.

• Interior: compact, domestic in scale.

This layered enclosure reinforces the kiosk typology and the metaphor of a partially opened book.

View / Outlook

The glazed band creates continuous outward views to the Giardini landscape while simultaneously exposing the interior activity of browsing. The roof frames sightlines, choreographing visual relationships between books, visitors, and garden.

Lighting Condition

Natural daylight dominates. The extended roof filters direct sun, providing diffuse, controlled illumination suitable for browsing. Interior lighting supplements but does not override this strategy.

The Intervention

The project proposes a minimal yet transformative intervention: the replacement of the pavilion’s static floor with a responsive, inflatable structural system derived from the balloon animal study.

This intervention does not alter the pavilion’s envelope, roof, or tectonic clarity. Instead, it activates the most neutral architectural element — the floor — turning it into a dynamic spatial field. The intervention introduces a tactile and kinetic dimension to a pavilion that is otherwise tectonically static.

• The floor affords sitting, reclining, leaning, and informal gathering.

• It blurs the distinction between furniture and architecture.

• It transforms browsing from a purely visual activity into an embodied experience.

Visitors no longer simply move in a straight line; they negotiate subtle shifts in elevation and softness. Movement becomes slower, more conscious. Reading becomes grounded in the body.

The project maintains the pavilion’s formal clarity while introducing a layer of sensory complexity. The copper roof remains dominant. The glass band remains transparent. The tectonic legibility remains intact.

What changes is the experience of being inside.