OMA with/for prada at the venice art biennale 2011

'OMA with/for prada' at the venice biennale, venice, italy
image courtesy of fondazione prada / © attilio maranzano


OMA has joined forces with italian fashion brand prada once again, this time in an exhibition at the 54th annual venice biennale.
housed in the ca' corner della regina, overlooking the grand canal, the installation showcases recent collaborative works between
the two parties, with a focus on the future fondazione prada in milan, scheduled for completion in 2013.



detail of model and foam aluminum cladding
image © designboom


consuming eight rooms of the former palazzo, the exhibit - designed by rem koolhaas and associate-in-charge ippolito pestellini -
includes photographs, drawings and a hyper-detailed 1:100 model of the upcoming milanese museum complex. originally used as
a tool to develop the fondazione's curatorial strategy, the model features handmade miniatures of the permanent collection and
provides visitors with a comprehensive understanding of the structure's scale and volume.



miniatures of fondazione prada's permanant collection
image © designboom


a full room is dedicated to the prototypes and process work of aluminum foam, the distinctive surface that will enclose part of the
fondazione building in milan. developed in recent years, aluminum material is an ultra lightweight metal whose composition
is distorted to resemble a sponge-like consistency. manifesting the most radical redefinition of surface and material,
the porous blocks are made from melted and chemically altered aluminum ingot. porous and organic in appearance, the dynamic
structural cladding is inherently stress resistant, impact absorbing and soundproof.



side view of model
image © designboom


also on display is a model of OMA's prada transformer, the tetrahedron structure that was completed in seoul, south korea in 2009.



detail of model
image © designboom


the historical 18th century ca' corner della regina is currently undergoing renovation to become a new space for contemporary art,
a project that is being overseen by fondazione prada and fondazione musei civici. the renovation, to be carried out over the next six years,
will thoroughly restore the landmark into a space dedicated to contemporary culture, research and exhibitions.

see also designboom's previous article on the concurrent art exhibition taking place within the ca' corner della regina. 



components of the structure are hung throughout the space
image © designboom



hanging models
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view into model
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physical model of fondazione prada, milan, italy
image © designboom



detail of model
image © designboom



detail of model
image courtesy of fondazione prada / © attilio maranzano



interior detail views
image © designboom



prototype of sponge aluminum
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prototypes of sponge aluminum 
images © designboom



prototype of sponge aluminum 
image © designboom



model of prada transformer, seoul, south korea
image © designboom



entrance
image © designboom