For the first time in the Venice Architecture Biennale, the island nation of Grenada presents the exhibition COethos, featuring its newest architectural landmark, Grenada's House of Parliament, together with a number of ideas for regenerating the city of St. George's. Curated by the Babau Bureau collective, the pavilion showcases the design and building process of the Parliament building, as well as explorations of the various possibilities of re-activating public spaces along the town's harbour.
Architect Bryan Bullen describes the architecture of the new Grenada House of Parliament as “a vision to re-inject public life into the urban space of the town’s harbour”. Referring to the exhibition featuring a video documenting the design and construction process of the building, the architect says that “the realization of the Grenada House of Parliament is examined in relation to sustainability, commercial viability, resilience to natural disasters and changes in the global ecology.”
The new House of Parliament is a synthesis of historical references, site constraints, sustainability principles and local materials. The program is organized around three main elements: the Chamber, the Peristyle and the Rampant, the latter a reference to the nation’s colonial forts. The materials and shape of the Chamber allude to the boat-building tradition of the area. A series of intermediary spaces create a gradual transition from interior to interior, optimizing passive cooling.
Accompanying the video documenting the building are peristyle columns mimicking those of the Parliament that exhibit ideas for the regeneration of Grenada’s architecture. Carenage Urban Revitalisation Effort is a strategy for reactivating St. George’s historic urban fabric and public spaces., a vision for re-injecting public life into the town’s harbour. Thus, the exhibition presents ideas for a refurbishment of such a public space, creating a new area for leisure and cultural activities, along with the refurbishment of the National Library and the creation of a Center for Knowledge and Innovation.
- Commissioner: Dr. Susan Mains BEM, former Minister of Culture, Senator the Honourable Norland Cox
- Architect: Bryan Bullen
- Collaborators: Irina Kostka, Michael Julien, Sharon Bidasee, and Dr. Angus Friday
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