Caruso St John Architects and artist Marcus Taylor will represent the UK at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale

26 May to 25 November '18

A panel of architecture and design specialists from across the UK selected the winning team from a shortlist of four proposals. The successful concept, titled Island, responds to the theme of Freespace, set by Biennale curators Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects.

The proposal engages with current political themes and was submitted with the following quote from Shakespeare’s The Tempest:

“Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises; Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.”
Peter St John, Partner at Caruso St John Architects: “It is an honour for us to have been selected to curate the British Pavilion. In the year before Brexit, we plan to transform the building into a generous public space that can be a popular meeting point within the gardens of the Biennale.”

Sarah Mann, Director of Architecture Design Fashion at the British Council: “The open call generated a strong field of proposals but the panel was unanimous in its selection. The uncertainties that exist in today’s world give the British Pavilion a new imperative and Island promises to be a thought-provoking installation that I am confident will spark debate.”

Adam Caruso and Peter St John won the Stirling Prize in 2016 for their Newport Street Gallery for Damien Hirst. They have worked on several major arts projects including Tate Britain Millbank and Nottingham Contemporary. Marcus Taylor, originally from Northern Ireland, has collaborated on several projects with the practice, including most recently a joint submission for the UK Holocaust Memorial.

The British Council has been responsible for the British Pavilion in Venice since 1937, showcasing the best of the UK's artists, architects, designers and curators. The accompanying talks and the Venice Fellowships initiative, introduced in 2016, along with the Pavilion Patrons scheme help make the British Pavilion a platform for discussion about contemporary art and architecture.