The "Margherissima" project, curated by The Architectural Association (AA) and Nigel Coates, has been inaugurated at Forte Marghera in Venice. This special project is part of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition within the Austrian Powder Magazine.
Venice's Mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, highlighted the revitalization efforts at Forte Marghera. He emphasized the importance of bringing contemporary art to Mestre and acknowledged the collaborative effort behind the project. Brugnaro praised the project's demonstration of architecture's intellectual importance, encompassing imagination, courage, experimentation, and poetry.
"Margherissima" proposes a vibrant new district adjacent to heavy industry near the Venetian lagoon. It presents a model for transforming the industrial hinterland into a dynamic district for future citizens. The design considers the challenges of climate change.
The project is a collaborative effort by AA students led by architect Nigel Coates, with a network of expert collaborators. It responds to the theme of 'Intelligens. Naturale. Artificiale. Collettivo.' proposed by the curator of the Biennale Architettura 2025, Carlo Ratti.
The AA design team has developed a speculative proposal for a new fragment of a smart city. This fragment is designed to promote collective living within the deindustrialization process of Marghera. "Margherissima" reflects the Biennale's central theme of collective intelligence.