caruso st. john + thomas demand at venice biennale 2010

caruso st. john and thomas demand at the 12th international architecture biennale in venice, italy
image © designboom


for this year's la biennale di venezia, german artist thomas demand and london-based practice
caruso st. john architects have designed and built a fragment of a full scale mock up of 'nagelhaus',
a project led by the team that is currently under process in zurich, switzerland. located in
escher wyss platz, an important section of the city's transport infrastructure, 'nagelhaus' pays
homage to a story affectionately referred to as the 'stubborn nail' from chongqing, china.

in 2007, private home owners in chongqing held out against all odds in their small house
while developers demolished the grounds and city around them. while the house in china
did not last, 'nagelhaus' brings back its essence as two modest buildings tucked into a small
site under the zurich's road viaduct. the structures ironically look as if to have been carefully
tailored to fit into the precise topography, or as if they were a part of a street that once stood before,
appearing as stubborn fragments of the past that refused to be changed by the developing area.

the project as it stands in venice exhibits a similar stubbornness. at the corner of the exhibition space,
the structure seems to be gigantic, awkward and disconnected. a pre-existing air duct seamlessly
pierces through one side and continues on the other end. the build itself channels a stage set feel,
its thin pre-fabricated facade not hiding the fact that the house is hollow and propped up with a
simple wooden frame.



exhibition view
image © designboom



front view
image © designboom



(left) side view
(right) interior and hanging lights
image © designboom



facade detail
image © designboom



exhibited illustration by martin morck
image © designboom



rendering of 'negelhaus' in zurich, switzerland
image courtesy caruso st. john architects


adam caruso and thomas demand interview by hans ulrich obrist at the venice biennale
to see more of hans ulrich obrist's interview series, click here.