We are so thrilled to have seen our work centred in “Assembly” The Irish Pavillion at the international Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2025 @labiennale

“Assembly” was designed and curated by @cotter_naessens and included at its centre a circular rug. 

It was a real pleasure and an honour to work hand in hand with Cotter & Naessens in the design and making of this piece. With its colour palette inspired by Persian rugs of old this was made in contrasting pile heights to reflect the cross section and growth rings of a tree.

Fabricated by @Alanmeredith_studio from wind fallen spalted beech, the attention to detail spoke for itself.

There were 20 speakers installed in the tapered cylindrical walls of the structure which played a collection of sounds recorded by @stalling.david during the curation of the Pavillion.

We were very moved also to hear the twittering of birdsong from our very own back yard at a distance of 2000 kilometres! 

“Assembly” truly is a striking assemblage of arts and crafts

“Our aim is for architecture to work in tandem with other crafts and knowledge forms—

from woodwork, textiles, poetry, art and music through to the ecological and the political

—so as to create a rich sensory environment that encourages awareness of ourselves

and of others as embodied beings. Ultimately, Assembly is about bringing people

together in a space that encourages respect for one another as individuals, each with

the perspectives of their own lived histories and the potential to imagine new ways of

gathering, listening and communicating.”

— Louise Cotter, Cotter & Naessens Architects

Beautifully crafted it speaks on so many levels. The cacophony of sound colour texture geometry and structure inviting observers to join the conversation with an almost theatrical embrace as you enter the structure.

We are so grateful for this amazing opportunity and to all the team involved in bringing it to Venice.

Home now, and comforted by the twittering of birdsong at a distance of 20 meters! Swallow in full nesting mode at our workshop door.

Designed:  @cotter_naessens

Sound artist: @stalling.david

Creative production:  @michelledelea

Fabricator: @alanmeredith_studio

Curato: @lukenaessens

Pictures by Ste Murray & Samuele Cherubini