Boris Brorman Jensen and Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss selected 130 projects to prove that in Denmark architecture practices of all shapes and sizes wage a daily battle to improve our physical environment with respect for society and community. The Danish Pavilion highlights how Danish architects, in cooperation with planners, politicians and developers, are working on a daily basis to renew the Danish tradition of focusing on the human being when conceiving and building society and social institutions.
The curators have identified five so-called “agendas”, within which they have grouped the selected projects.

The exhibition, Art of Many and the Right to Space is the Danish contribution to this year’s International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition will show how Danish architects insist on creating high quality architecture that benefits the community as a whole rather than just a selected minority. The exhibition contains the work not of a single architect, but of more than 70 architecture practices, together demonstrating the wide-ranging social commitment and humanistic approach, which make Danish architecture something very special.

Pro Community
This is about civil society’s unique role and opportunities in Denmark. This is a presentation of projects, which resulted from the initiative of citizens, but also projects where private operators play a crucial role. The projects are often community-oriented buildings: for example, the semi-outdoor community hub in the village of Fjelstervang

Exit Utopia
The idealistic planning of Modernism has failed, not only when it comes to creating decent social areas, but also in terms of tackling climate change and changes in the likes of population growth experienced by cities/urbanisation. All the projects relate to cities and towns and include everything from rainwater management to the transformation of Gellerupparken

Claiming Space
Towns and cities are under pressure and there is a struggle for space on the expensive square metres in town and city centres. It is the role of architects, politicians and citizens to expand the concept of urban space and of where/how to establish social and public spaces in towns and cities. This is a presentation of projects that create public space in new ways: for example, Amager Bakke and Vinge Station.

Beyond Luxury
A revised form of the concept of luxury, in which what was once considered as luxurious, has ceased to be so. Today, the likes of daylight, access to green/open areas and decent local materials are in short supply and have become highly desirable. But they are not necessarily in short supply because they are too resource-intensive to produce. This presents examples of simple architecture, which, with the use, say, of local materials, creates positive spaces without being expensive: for example, Almen Bolig +

Designing Life
We are constantly learning how architecture can impact behaviour – learning, conduct, efficiency etc. This agenda looks at the responsibility and role of architecture and the influence and impact, which spaces have on the people who use them: for example, children in schools, patients in hospitals and prisoners in prisons.

Exhibitors: 3XN, AART architects, Adept, AI, Anders Abraham & Christina Capetillo, Anders Peder Larsen, Andersen & Sigurdsson Architects, Arcgency, Arkitektfirmaet Merete Lind Mikkelsen, Arkitema Architects, BCVA Architecture, BESSARDs’ STUDIO, BIG, BO FROST architects, CEBRA, CF. Møller Architects, Christensen & Co architects, COBE, COLORCLOUDSTUDIO, DISSING+WEITLING architecture, Dorte Mandrup Architects, EFFEKT, ELKIÆR + EBBESKOV, Erik Brandt Dam architects, Erik Møller Architects, Force4, Frans Drewniak & Philip Rahm, Frederiksund Municipality, Friis & Moltke Architects Gottlieb Paludan Architects, Herzog de Meuron, JAJA architects, Jakob Knudsen, Jan Gehl, Jane Havshøj Architects, Jes Vagnby, JJW Architects, Johan Mottelson, Jonathan Meldgaard Houser, Junya Ishigami, Karlsson Arkitekter, KHR Arkitekter, Kim Loudrup, KRADS, Kristine Jensens Tegnestue, Lenschow & Pihlmann, LETH & GORI, LUMO Architects, Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects, Mathilde Petri Architects, Middelfart Municipality and Middelfart Wastewater Utility, Mikkelsen Architects, Møller & Grønborg, Nicolai Bo Andersen, NORD Architects Copenhagen, ONV Architects, POLYFORM, Roskilde Municipality, RUBOW Arkitekter, schmidt hammer lassen architects, SLA Architects, SLETH Architects, SNE architects, Spektrum Arkitekter, Svendborg Architects, THIRD NATURE, Toposfære IVS, TRANSFORM, Tyra Lea Amdisen Dokkedahl, URBAN AGENCY, Vandkunsten Architects, Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, WE Architecture, Wienberg Architects and Frier Architecture, Schønherr, Henning Larsen Architects, JDS Architects, MAP Architects