House for Venice Biennale project, Venice, Italy (Title board: aerial view of model)

César Pelli

1976

A 1976 photomontage by César Pelli that presents an aerial photographic collage of a scale model to propose a conceptual 'House for the Venice Biennale'—an architectural idea communicated through image-making rather than a realized building.

At first glance it reads like a bird’s‑eye of a miniature city: tightly packed rooflines, courtyards, and sharp geometric masses whose textures, cast shadows, and visible model edges make the representation feel both like a physical mock‑up and a deliberate architectural insertion into Venice’s urban fabric.

The piece shows how Pelli and his contemporaries relied on photomontage and models in the 1970s to persuade and provoke, shaping debates about inserting modern architecture into historic contexts and demonstrating the power of images as design and advocacy tools.

Art Terms

Architectural model Architecture Photomontage Collage Design Conceptual art

Exhibitions

Architectural Models from the Collection

1974

Architectural Studies and Projects

1975

Built in USA: Post-War Architecture

1953

Latin American Architecture Since 1945

1955