The UAE pavilion at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, Wetland, has been awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for Best National Participation. ‘Wetland’ is a prototype of an environmentally friendly salt-based cement alternative from recycled industrial waste saltwater. It could reduce the impact on the environment from the construction industry.
In giving the award, the Golden Lion jury commended the UAE’s exhibit for making visitors consider the relationship between waste and production, saying it “opens us to new construction possibilities between craft and high technology”.
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, described the award on social media as a “testament to the talent and ingenuity that represents the UAE”. More than 60 countries developed national pavilions, in addition to the UAE’s Wetland exhibition. The UAE’s Pavilion was curated by Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto.
It is the 10th time the UAE has participated in the Venice Biennale. This year’s event will run till November 21 under the theme ‘How Will We Live Together?’
The exhibit is inspired by traditional coral houses, but its ground-breaking cement has the strength and durability to be used in modern architecture in standard brick shape. A series of Farah Al Qasimi’s photographs was commissioned to complement the installation, showing the interplay between the salt flats and industrial development.
At its opening in May, Al Kaabi said the exhibit provided a rare opportunity to present stories and ideas that define the UAE. “This culture of bridge-building and multinational exchange is fundamental to who we are as a nation,” she said.
“Wetland presents a truly insightful idea and a fresh perspective on the global issue of climate change. Developing more sustainable ways of balancing the needs of the modern world with the need to protect our environment is absolutely critical, and very high on the UAE’s national strategic agenda.”
The exhibition also celebrates the UAE’s sabkhas (salt flats), which inspired the research for the development of renewable building material, through large-scale images of the UAE’s UNESCO World Heritage Site-nominated sabkhas.