The Venice Architecture Biennale Kicks Off—And This Exhibition Will Steal the Show

“Those words have stayed with me,” says Casas. “How should an architect think about architecture when there may be no architecture in the future?”

It’s a refreshing take on an exhibit, as most architecture biennales are usually just galleries of blueprints and small-scale models. This giant recycled plastic sculpture, which looks like a chilly iceberg, draws attention to how architects can upcycle recycled plastic into 3D-printed structures.

Casas believes that design for good is a necessity. “We need a renewed empathy for all living creatures and we need to raise awareness toward the environmental and ethical impact of our everyday actions,” he says.

Indeed, architects everywhere understand the pressing need for environmental responsibility. “I believe architecture to be going through a radical environmental turn, with sustainability becoming a central concern, but this is not enough,” explains Casas.

“As architects, we must take advantage of our creativity and multi-sectoral experience in the search for new environmentally friendly manufacturing models. We have to be environmentally careful as architects and most importantly, as human beings in our everyday life.”

As Cyrill Gutsch, the founder and CEO of Parley for the Oceans, explains, these kinds of projects draw attention to ocean pollution, namely the big plastic island in the Pacific Ocean, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that is being called “the eighth continent.”