Twenty-four innovative submissions have been accepted for the Australian exhibition at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale.

More than 100 entries were received for the national 'Ideas for Australia's Cities 2050+' competition, run by the Australian Institute of Architects' 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale creative directors, John Gollings and Ivan Rijavec.

The team's two-part 'Now + When Australian Urbanism' exhibition will highlight three of Australia's most interesting urban regions as they are 'Now', before dramatically representing around seven futuristic urban environments from the competition as they may be 'When' we reach 2050 and beyond.

Melbourne-based photographer, Gollings, said" "The large number of entries and range of approach and philosophy exceeded expectations. We felt that more than 50 per cent of the entries could have made an important contribution to the Venice Architecture Biennale, and narrowing the selection down to 24 was difficult."

Teams selected in the final 24 included Melbourne-based NHArchitecture, and their submission 'Not All Arrows Hit the Target'.

Hamish Lyon, principal at NHArchitecture, said the competition and the biennale were an opportunity for the practice to participate in a broader public forum.

"It gives you an opportunity to discuss ideas with other practitioners. We are excited to be involved - as it's an opportunity to be involved in a bigger discussion."

The firm's submission was based on the idea that Australia's boundary is not limited by its land mass. "We are interested in thinking of Australia as not just being the land mass; the 200km exclusivity zone is becoming part of Australia on a daily basis."

"We have always thought about building radial cities - that radiate out from the city centre, but most of the Australian cities are built on the coast, so what we are saying is lets forget that and start thinking about the coast and the ocean as all part of the site."

Lyon said that many of the ideas created in the 1960s and 70s have come to light in recent years with technological developments, but for some reason high density cities that we proposed in that era have not come to light.

"We still live in urban sprawl - so why has the future vision of everything else realised, but in the case of housing we are still back in the 1960s?” he said.

"This was a slightly challenging question for the judges themselves."

The creative directors said those shortlisted were far more than hypotheticals. "Each uniquely responded to future challenges including population growth, environmental degradation, dwindling resources and climate change."

The 12th annual Venice Architecture Biennale will be held in August 2010.

ORGANISATION SUBMISSION TITLE

    • Richard Goodwin, Art/Architecture, TERROIR, Andrew Benjamin, Ingo Kumic, Dan Hill, Sydney 2050: Fraying Ground
    • Steve Whitford, University of Melbourne, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning + James Brearley BAU Brearley Architects and Urbanists, Adjunct Professor RMIT, Symbiotic City
    • Justyna Karakiewicz, Thomas Kvan and Steve Hatzellis, Urban Life Without Fear
    • Edmond & Corrigan, A Future Australian City
    • Colony, Mould City
    • Brit Andresen and Mara Francis, Sedimentary City
    • NH Architecture with Andrew Mackenzie, Not all Arrows hit the Target
    • John Wardle Architects & Stefano Boscutti, Multiple Cities
    • Alanna Howe, Alexander Hespe (ARUP), biomimetic city
    • PDJ Architects (Fiona Dunin, Alex Peck, Martina Johnson), -41+41
    • Bangarra Dance Theatre, Woodhead, Dr. Doris McIIwain, Ross Honeywill, Greer Honeywill, Love and Movement
    • A collaboration between BKK Architects, Village Well, Charter Keck Kramer, Survival vs Resilience
    • HASSELL, Professor Mike Young (University of Adelaide) & Holopoint
    • Michael Lewarne + Tom Rivard in association with house of Laudanum, Dr Lian Loke & Dr Anne Arquit Neiderberger Food for Thought: e-agora 2059
    • ARUP, Cities of Resilience in the wake of Climate Change
    • Dr. Beth George, A. Professor Jon Tarry, A. Professor Rene Van Meeuwen, Speciation City
    • Room 11 + Scott Lloyd and Katrina Stoll, Island Proposition 2100
    • Lacoste + Stevenson Architects, Six Degrees Architects, FROST Design
    • Harrison and White with Nano Langenheim, Implementing the Rhetoric
    • Ben Statkus (Statkus Architecture), Daniel Agdag, Melanie Etchell, William Golding, Anna Nguyen, Joel Ng, How Does it Make You Feel?
    • McGauran Giannini Soon (MGS), Bild + Dyskors, Material Thinking
    • Billard Leece Partnership, A Tale of Two Cities 2100
    • Innovarchi, The Mangrove occupying the Now and WHEN of the waters edge
    • Design Research Institute RMIT (CRI) + Minifie Nixon Architects MNA, Cloudnets