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