Mario Cucinella, appointed by Minister Dario Franceschini, is the curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of Biennale di Venezia. Cucinella's name was chosen at the end of a selection procedure in which 10 names representing the national and international scene were invited to participate. The project was chosen by the Minister from the trio proposed by the Directorate-General. "Cucinella's project - said Franceschini - is very ambitious and innovative, and keeps the international community's spotlight on the challenge of reconstruction".
Here are the names of the 10 curators invited to present their projects: Alterstudio partners, Fabrizio Barozzi, Marco Stefano Biraghi, Alessandra Cianchetta, C+S/Carlo Cappai and Maria Alessandra Segantini, Mario Cucinella, Labics/Maria Claudia Clemente and Francesco Isidori, Vincenzo Latina, Simona Malvezzi, Matteo Robiglio. The selection was made taking into account gender equality and national and international experience, ensuring the presence of young and established professionals. Many of these personalities, all very attentive to the most advanced research and applied experimentation related to the themes of public and private space, have achieved notoriety in the field of architecture thanks to the competition instrument, which has allowed them to realise important public buildings in Italy and abroad.
Mario Cucinella founded Mario Cucinella Architects in Paris in 1992 and in Bologna in 1999. The design of sustainable buildings and the rational use of energy is one of the main themes in his work and research. Aware of the positive impact that each building can have in regenerating the surrounding environment (natural, urban and socio-economic), he has always encouraged the adoption of a design language capable of expressing the beauty and richness of local cultures.
From 1998 to 2006 Mario Cucinella was contract professor at the Architecture Technology Laboratory of the Faculty of Architecture in Ferrara and since 2004 he has been Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham, England. In 2013 he was Guest Professor in Emergency Technologies at the Technische Universität in Munich and in 2014 he was contract professor at the Faculty of Architecture Federico II in Naples. He is currently Director of the Scientific Committee of PLEA (Passive and Low Energy Architecture). In 2016 the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awarded him the title of "International Fellowship". In 2017 he received the prestigious Honorary Fellowship Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In January 2012 he founded Building Green Futures: a non-profit organisation whose aim is to fuse environmental culture and technology to recreate architecture that guarantees dignity, quality and performance while respecting the environment. BGF's flagship project is the Kuwait School in Gaza, developed in partnership with UNRWA (the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Middle East).