Venice is exceptional not only because its streets are filled with water.

It is also Italo Calvino’s model and collector of all possible imaginary cities. Its magic and aura infects all visitors. Its stones, as they were for John Ruskin, are a syntactical lesson for architects. Its atmosphere has a similar effect on filmmakers (Death in Venice, Don’t Look Now, or even popular TV – Donna Leone filmings). Architects who flock to the Biennale are amongst the most susceptible victims of the Venice virus. Many of us have also submitted to the temptation to tinker with the Venetian morphology (see Peter Wilson’s 1985 Ponte dell’Accademia to be explained in this studio). This studio is not about designing new bits but in making off with bits left by others.

The technique advocated is PIRACY, including raids on archives, catalogues or historic documents. Hostage taking is carried out with downloads, screenshots, sketches, etc. Each student is asked to nab a bit of architecture (or just a bit of atmosphere, a reflection, a colour) that takes their fancy. Piracy on the Adriatic between Venetians and the Ottoman (Piri Ries) has a long tradition.

Reworking/replicating/abusing the architectural hostage is what the workshop was about.

Put on your eye-patches and raise the virtual ‘Skull and Crossbones’.