Ireland's most daring and ambitious entry yet for the Venice Architectural Biennale is being packed and shipped this weekend in preparation of its presentation at the prestigious international event. The 10th International Architectural Exhibition, which takes place from September 10 to November 19 2006 in Venice, Italy, features participants from 50 countries on four different continents.

Shane O'Toole

140,000 Euro, over 42% of the total budget, has been secured from Culture Ireland, the Irish State Agency established by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism in 2005 to promote the best of Ireland's arts and culture internationally. Minister John O'Donoghue commented today 'The Venice Biennale is the world's foremost showcase for architecture and I am delighted that we have been able to support Ireland's best young architects in presenting their work, and showcasing Ireland, to such a large international audience.' The project has also received support from the Arts Council, the RIAI [Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland] and Tegral, as well as core sponsorship from the Devey Group, one of Ireland's leading developers, currently developing Grand Canal Square in Dublin with a performance space by Daniel Libeskind and a hotel by Mateus Aires Associados, bounding a new square designed by Martha Schwartz.

Presenting a group show for the first time, Ireland has responded to the 2006 Venice Architectural Biennale theme 'Cities: Architecture and Society' with an exploration of Irish people's obsession with the land and the motor car. 'SubUrban to SuperRural' is an ambitious project that asked nine architectural practices to look ahead at the next 25 years at our preoccupation with living on the edge [SubUrban] or beyond [SuperRural] the city's hold, and to arrive at some predictions and possible solutions for the next generation.

Seaside holiday villages that are only visible when occupied, floating cities complete with shopping and leisure cities and an efficient railway infrastructure that will halve the commuting time across the country are just some of the new and innovative ideas to emerge from the nine Irish architectural practices involved.

FKL architects

Culture Ireland nominated the Irish Architecture Foundation as commissioners of Ireland's participation in this year's Biennale. FKL architects were appointed last winter to curate the Irish entry, following an open call for proposals. The Foundation's Shane O'Toole, who was also Ireland's Commissioner for the 2004 Biennale, asks: "What might an alternative Ireland look like in 2030? Architects are not soothsayers, but somebody needs to fill the visionary vacuum and illustrate some of the characteristics of success that should mark our society a generation hence," says O'Toole. "Nine architects of the generation who will shape our children's Ireland have spent the spring and summer fleshing out a series of projects and scenarios that offer different glimpses of that future. Scenarios are not predictions, however. They are stories built around methodically constructed plots. Their real importance lies in the conversations they spark and the decisions they inform. The show FKL has created for Venice is intended to offer plenty of food for thought and to spark debate here at home among the general public," he said.