TAKA architects were invited by the curators of the 2018 venice architecture biennale, yvonne farrell and shelly mcnamara, to make a piece which reflected on a building by rogelio salmona and the architectural values which we shared with him. our piece called loom formed part of the close encounter show (co-curated with hugh campbell) in the central pavilion.

rogelio salmona, the most prominent columbian architect of the 20th century, is known for his mastery of brickwork and place-making. we see his work as simultaneously both local and foreign, in both time and place. he draws on columbian, european, pre-columbian and contemporary influences to create rich singularities. in the words of the curators, salmona is working within “the freespace of time and memory…building on inherited cultural layers, weaving the archaic with the contemporary”. loom is our built response to salmona’s specific work – the centro comunal nueva santa fe. in it, we recognise the architectural values we share with salmona. the built object weaves together salmona’s fascination with pre-columbian architecture, and our affection for his work. looking through the lens of salmona’s architecture, personal fascinations (both irish and otherwise) which loom in our memory, are called forward and become intertwined with his work. loom is an acknowledgment of the generosity of the freespace of a communal cultural heritage, shared when architects make buildings.