This will be the first time New Zealand has entered a national exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale , which is the world’s leading architecture event.  In 2014, the Biennale will run from 7 June to 23 November. NZIA President David Sheppard says participation in the Biennale is an unrivalled opportunity to engage with the international architectural community, showcase New Zealand’s design capability and raise the profile of architecture and design within New Zealand.

“It’s a big undertaking to stage an exhibition in Venice, and we’ll have to raise significant funds to make it happen, but New Zealand architecture deserves to take its place on the world stage,” Sheppard says.

“A competition to design a Biennale exhibition is also an ideal means to test our architectural thinking and examine our design culture.”

“We expect a New Zealand exhibition to tell an engaging story about New Zealand architecture to an international audience and make a meaningful response to the Biennale theme.” Sheppard notes that ‘Fundamentals’, the theme chosen by the director of next year’s Biennale, the acclaimed Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, is especially relevant to smaller countries as it focuses on the relationship between architecture’s universal qualities and its national characteristics.

“The Biennale theme asks architects from all around the world to consider what we have in common, and what makes us different.”

The New Zealand Institute of Architects is inviting Expressions of Interest for the role of Creative Director/s for the New Zealand exhibition. 

Individuals, multidisciplinary teams and students of architecture and design are encouraged to submit an exhibition proposal. All teams must include an architect registered in New Zealand. A competition jury appointed by the New Zealand Institute of Architects will select a shortlist from the submissions. In the second stage of the competition, the shortlisted entrants will develop their proposals before submitting them to the jury, which will then select the Creative Director/s.

It is the responsibility of the Creative Director/s to develop a concept for the exhibition and, within the specified budget, a program for its realisation that includes transportation, installation/construction and de-installation. Expressions of Interest must be received by 11 October 2013.

A full pdf of the Expression of Interest invitation document can be viewed here.