Making Heimat. German Pavilion at the Biennale di Venezia 2016

The Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) is responsible for organizing the exhibition of the German Pavilion Making Heimat. Germany, Arrival Country at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia 2016. In charge of the German contribution are Peter Cachola Schmal, general curator and director of the Deutsches Architekturmuseum, Oliver Elser, curator at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum, and the project coordinator Anna Scheuermann.

The architecture studio  Something Fantastic is responsible for the design concept of the German Pavilion. For them the opening of the pavilion is not only a political, urban and architectural statement, but also a welcoming gesture to the visitors of the exhibition. They have provided indoor and outdoor seating, free WLAN, power stations, white plastic chairs, and an ayran fountain that will be running during the opening days of the Biennale, operated by a Lebanese caterer from Mestre, the Arrival City in Venice.

In this exhibition, the DAM uses examples of the host cities of Germany to pose for discussion a series of theses developed in collaboration with the Canadian author Doug Saunders. His book Arrival City: How the Largest Migration in History is Reshaping Our World has inspired a shift in perspective on immigrant districts, although these districts are typically characterized as “problem areas" they also offer newcomers some of the pre-requisites of an Arrival City: affordable housing, access to work, small-scale commercial spaces, good access to public transit, networks of immigrants from the same culture, as well as a tolerant attitude that extends to the acceptance of informal practices.

However, before any of the numerous new arrivals can become regular immigrants, there are currently thousands of refugees living in first admittance facilities and shared accommodations across Germany. Using specific examples, the German Pavilion will present the architectural qualities of these buildings in an exhibition room dedicated to this particular construction task. The examples have been chosen from the database. A growing archive of realised and under-construction refugee buildings across Germany and Europe that offers a comprehensive picture of the current reality, and is an exhortation to step up and meet the dire need for affordable and high-quality residential space. Indeed, this is one of the central prerequisites for a successful integration process.