Venice is known for its timeless beauty and rich heritage. At the same time, the lagoon city is becoming a symbol of progress and innovation that cities around the world can learn from. The installation “Gateway to Venice's Waterways” is intended to initiate this discourse on sustainable urban change.
“Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.” is the theme of this year's Architecture Biennale. The installation responds to this by physically representing how dreams and reality combine, inspired by nature and technology. The installation shows how design can reconcile the complex demands of modern urban infrastructure with a commitment to sustainability. “Gateway to Venice's Waterways” can be visited throughout the Biennale Archittetura 2025.
„Design and architecture share the same attributes: In contrast to art, both disciplines stand for an interplay of aesthetics and technology as well as functionality and realisability. The complexity of both topics creates a clear distinction from pure styling as well as a great fascination for the other discipline,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche. “The exchange with creative colleagues beyond the boundaries of classic automotive design is always enriching for us. Creativity thrives on communication and freely conceived ideas - the collaboration with the Norman Foster Foundation team provides us with exciting food for thought.”
“The collaboration between the Norman Foster Foundation and Porsche emphasises the importance of a holistic approach that brings together experts from different fields to shape the future of mobility. By integrating technology, insights from nature and lessons from the past, we can reimagine cities that are not only more sustainable, but also more connected and efficient. ‘Gateway to Venice's Waterways is a testament to this vision and shows how innovation and tradition can co-exist to inspire new solutions for the urban landscapes of tomorrow,” says Norman Foster.
About “The Art of Dreams”
‘The Art of Dreams’ was first presented in October 2021 in Paris at the Palais Galliera with the installation “Remember Your Dreams” by Cyril Lancelin. For each edition, Porsche invites an artist or collective to create an installation on the theme of dreams. ‘The Art of Dreams’ is part of important art platforms, including: Singapore Art Week, Milan Design Week and Art Basel Miami, the Design Parade Hyères festival and Frieze Seoul. Previous collaborations with artists include: Ruby Barber, Chris Labrooy, Numen/For Use, Thomas Trum, Capsule Global, Audrey Large, Theóphile Blandet, Ezra Miller, Kwang Ho Lee and Niceworkshop.
About the Norman Foster Foundation
The Norman Foster Foundation was founded in London in 1999 and has been headquartered in Madrid since 2017. It promotes interdisciplinary thinking and research to help new generations anticipate the future. At the centre of its work is Norman Foster's philosophy that architecture, infrastructure and urban design have a direct impact on quality of life. Since its inception, the Foundation's educational programmes of workshops, forums and fellowships have fostered new thinking and research to prepare future leaders for data-driven challenges in the future.
These programmes and principles led to the establishment of the Norman Foster Institute, which launched its first master's programme on sustainable cities in January 2024. The Foundation also houses the Norman Foster Archive and part of his library, which provide an insight into the history of architecture and the work of Norman Foster and other prominent architects.
