Colonies: America & Venezuela

The Italian merchant, sailor, navigator and explorer Amerigo Vespucci became the namesake of America. He was also the first European to see the coasts of South America with his own eyes on various expeditions between 1497 and 1504. The name of the country Venezuela also comes from Vespucci. The area of Lake Maracaibo that he discovered reminded him of his native lagoon city of Venice due to the pile dwellings built by the locals. And Venezuela means little Venice.

beta industries

We from CMb.Industries were at the 18th International Architecture Biennale in Venice to see with our own eyes and feel with all our other senses what is being brewed in the lagoon “Laboratory of the Future”.

Small world in big Venice

According to the curators, the Architecture Biennale 2023 will be the first major exhibition of its kind, namely one that tests the process of achieving climate neutrality in practice and also reflects on the topics of decolonization and decarbonization. In other words, topics and problem areas that have probably also gained momentum with Amerigo Vespucci’s travels. And they are a good fit for Venice, a city that is itself threatened by climate change and rising water levels, making it a laboratory of the future.

Lost & Found

We found pavilions full of sensually presented problems, but, to be honest, no powerful utopias or visions. No paths, but piles on which to build them. There was no sense of a spirit of optimism in Vespucci’s sense. Nevertheless, for us it was a personal setting of sails.

Pioneer and partner

As a prelude to a truly sustainable real estate project, one of the clients accompanied us for three days to the world cultural city on the Adriatic. This gave us the opportunity to reflect with this remarkable and successful pioneer on her ideas, goals and non-goals, visions and missions – an excellent basis for future communication and design. Apart from that, a real enrichment for the entire team in terms of people and content, for which we are grateful. Such a subtle foundation is an excellent building material for the upcoming building and should be a blueprint for future project launches. We will now try to incorporate this learning into all our projects in various forms.

Gondola creation

For our client as well as for my colleagues at CMb.industries and myself, one thing is certain: if you enjoy something together, you become a cooperative! The origin of the word “comrade” (Old High German: ginoz – someone who enjoys something with another, who benefits from something) tells us this. Because the lavish days full of the joy of discovery, art, culture, culinary delights, history, project ideas and private life have turned us into comrades. In other words, those with whom we share common experiences in a certain area, those who have the same goals and on whom we can rely for this reason.

So we found a lot of things. Amerigo Vespucci didn’t know exactly what he would come across either. Something is as true then as it is today: we have to leave our places, go out, gather inspiration, enjoy in order to become comrades and harvest experiences.