Kuwait Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale 2012
Visitors to Kuwait's pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale can lie back on cushions around a faded patchwork of defunct masterplans, while recorded sounds and voices echo down from above.
The drawings and diagrams covering the floor represent an archive of outdated planning proposals that illustrate the constantly evolving aspirations for the development of Kuwait City, prompted by the significant growth of their oil industry over the last 50 years.
The curators explain how the city is in a constant state of demolition and suggest that these rejected proposals could collectively offer insight into a successful strategy for its future society.
The cushions surrounding the perimeter represent the settlements outside the city's walls, while speakers hanging like lampshades from the wooden trusses overhead recreate the noises of these places.
The exhibition is curated by architect Zahra Ali Baba and is named Kethra, which means propagation and growth of quantity.
Click here to see more stories about the biennale, including our top five national pavilions.