Interview Directory 

ART

Name: Cotter & Naessens Architects

Residence: Cork, Ireland

AM: Why did you choose the model of the Citizens’ Assembly as inspiration for your pavilion?

Luke Naessens: The Citizens’ Assembly has played a significant public role over the past decade. We sought to design a structure that metaphorically reflects the Citizens’ Assembly—a prototype for gatherings on a smaller, local scale, in contrast to the Citizens’ Assembly, which is a large-scale event with a hundred participants. Our assembly is a collaboration of architects, musicians, craftspeople, and writers. We began to view our project itself as a form of assembly—a convergence of diverse perspectives and fields of knowledge in an open manner. Initially, the Citizens’ Assembly was a topic of interest to us, but it ultimately became a model for our working process, if that makes sense.

The pavilion has already opened. What reactions have you received from visitors?

Louise Cotter: Our first guestbook is full, and we are now on the next one—people are thrilled. We also spoke with individuals involved in deliberative democratic processes, such as those from Australia or other countries. Many visitors were immediately inspired by how the concept could function on a smaller, local level. That was very gratifying, as one is never certain during the design phase how people will receive it. It is a multisensory exhibition: some visitors can simply sit, enjoy the soundtrack, or take in the wood or the atmosphere. Others have engaged deeply with the materials and participated at a high level.

“The Citizens’ Assembly is a model for information flow and decision-making that stands in contrast to online dynamics or social media.“

Luke Naessens: One aspect of the visitor experience we wished to emphasise is the importance of genuine encounters. For us, an underappreciated feature of the Citizens’ Assembly as a political model is that real people sit together in the same room and discuss issues. A online Citizens’ Assembly on gender equality during Covid was necessary, but for me, it somewhat missed the mark because it is precisely these face-to-face encounters that lead complex issues to good resolutions. The Citizens’ Assembly is a model for information flow and decision-making that stands in contrast to online dynamics or social media. Metaphorically, we wanted to highlight this in the visitor experience. People respond warmly to sitting in the pavilion with strangers who happen to be there at the same time. We do not ask them to hold an assembly but invite them to reflect on this experience—being together with people from different backgrounds.

Installation view of ASSEMBLY Ireland at Venice 2025, Courtesy Cotter & Naessens Architects © Samuele Cherubini

Film still documenting the making of Assembly 2024 Photo Felix Castaldo Directed by Michelle Delea, Courtesy Cotter & Naessens

Film still documenting the making of Assembly 2024 Photo Felix Castaldo Directed by Michelle Delea, Courtesy Cotter & Naessens

“How do we treat the land? What role do agriculture and trees play? Ireland was once heavily forested but is now one of the least forested countries in Europe.“

I had the impression that you chose warm colours to create an emotional, inviting atmosphere. Is that correct?

Louise Cotter: Yes, that was intentional. When designing the structure, we looked at archetypal places where people gather, such as choir stalls in churches, where the wood, through years of use, appears rich and warm. The use of wood as a sustainable material with a connection to the environment and landscape also played a significant role. A Citizens’ Assembly that particularly moved us was one addressing the loss of biodiversity. It raises important questions: How do we treat the land? What role do agriculture and trees play? Ireland was once heavily forested but is now one of the least forested countries in Europe. People are beginning to value rewilding and sustainable landscapes, which is a challenge. Our beech trees fell in a storm—a story of climate impacts and changing weather patterns. They were “gifted” to us by nature, sawn and dried by our maker, Adam. Thus, we know the origin of these trees and their transformation.

Were there other political themes that influenced your work?

Luke Naessens: No, we were primarily interested in the model of the Citizens’ Assembly itself, not necessarily its themes. Biodiversity was an exception that emerged through our working process. David, our sound artist who created the audio composition, works extensively with natural sounds—recordings from hedges, trees, or underwater. This aspect grew stronger as we collaborated on the project. We expanded our idea of assembly to include non-human elements as well. But initially, our focus was on the Citizens’ Assembly as a working model for addressing issues, not on the issues or solutions themselves.

“The poem is the heart of the pavilion, reflecting its creation and, in a way, allowing it to “think” about itself. This mirrors the Citizens’ Assembly as a reflective, learning process that improves with each gathering through new innovations.“

What poetry did you use?

Luke Naessens: Michelle Delea, a team member, is an architect and poet. From the outset, it was clear that poetry would play a role, though its form was open. At some point, she wrote a poem that was woven into the audio composition. It reflects the creation of the pavilion: one verse about the tree, another about the carpentry. Through our collaborative approach, where everyone worked on their parts and regularly exchanged ideas, this self-reflective aspect became central. We constantly reflected on the process and incorporated these thoughts into the pavilion. The poem is the heart of the pavilion, reflecting its creation and, in a way, allowing it to “think” about itself. This mirrors the Citizens’ Assembly as a reflective, learning process that improves with each gathering through new innovations.

Can you say something about the poem?

Louise Cotter: The value of the poem lies in its addressing an Irish strength: the art of the spoken word. There is an Irish word, Bailiú, for the oral tradition. This explains the success of the Citizens’ Assembly: when people speak freely with one another, rather than exchanging papers or emails, unexpected results and consensus often emerge where it would otherwise be difficult. The poem was a central part of the work.

Axonometric drawing for Assembly 2024, Courtesy Cotter & Naessens

Assembly team (from left) David Stalling, Louise Cotter, Alan Meredith, Michelle Delea, David Naessens and Luke Naessens Courtesy Cotter & Naessens, Photo Janice O’Connell F22 Photography 

“In a church near Cork City, there is a stark stone building, but a glossy red carpet in the aisle makes it special.“

What role do the carpets play in the pavilion?

Louise Cotter: The carpet is part of a rich, sensory experience where materials and colours harmonise. The pavilion is like a musical instrument, and sound is crucial. Acoustics were important, and the carpet contributes to this, but it also creates a special atmosphere. In a church near Cork City, there is a stark stone building, but a glossy red carpet in the aisle makes it special. We were also inspired by Venice’s history as a crossroads of East and West in the 15th and 16th centuries. A painting of the Persian Emperor Shah Abbas presenting a carpet as a diplomatic gift fascinated us. Carpets were not everyday objects but precious items with their own language. Our colours—indigo, saffron, vermillion—come from a Persian palace and have a strong presence in the space. The carpet we designed is an abstraction of tree rings, not literal but an echo of the trees in the pavilion.

Where will your artwork go after the Biennale?

Louise Cotter: Next year, it will tour Ireland, certainly at the Midsummer Festival in Cork City. We are looking for a venue in Dublin, as the city council supports the project and wishes to initiate debates or an assembly. We are excited to curate this once we have a location. Ireland will assume the EU Presidency in the second half of 2026, and we are in talks with the government to present the work at an event. After that, we hope for a permanent location.

“What distinguishes us is our attention to detail, particularly in carpentry.“

What is your studio’s specialisation?

Louise Cotter: We are a small studio specialising in public, non-commercial projects—university buildings, social housing, street projects. What distinguishes us is our attention to detail, particularly in carpentry. Public projects often take a long time, sometimes a decade, because they are publicly funded. This project was comparatively quick, but the process was similar.

Who is the team behind Assembly?

Louise Cotter: Luke; Michelle, an architect, poet, and filmmaker who is making a documentary about the project, to be completed by the end of 2025 and shown on the tour; David Stalling, our sound artist, is German but has lived in Ireland for about 25 years; Alan Meredith is an architect but primarily a maker, creating sculptures, furniture, and art objects from wood.

“Teenagers often lack places to hang out, as shopping centres or institutions are expensive. This library is open to all.“

One final question: How did your architecture firm achieve its breakthrough?

Louise Cotter: Our breakthrough came in 2008 when we won an international competition for a library and cultural centre in Dublin by the sea. A library as a home for people—not just for books, but for community activities, creativity, and simply a place to be. Unfortunately, the win coincided with Ireland’s financial crash, which was catastrophic. There were doubts about whether the project would be realised, as the country’s finances were taken over by the Troika. We were practically an occupied country. But remarkably, it was built because the local authority was convinced it would transform their city. It did: after ten years, it is a beloved place, especially for teenagers, children, and older people. Teenagers often lack places to hang out, as shopping centres or institutions are expensive. This library is open to all. The project bolstered our reputation and brought us more public commissions. It’s not easy—as in Germany, clients must adhere to EU rules for design teams. But we love creating buildings for people that improve societies.

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ASSEMBLY

Sketch

The point blunts with the sweep

of a compass, a curved line (modest, lustrous):

a dormant circuit on pressed, wood-pulp paper

Did you mean the diminishing,

intangible, vanishing point,

or the centre of the circle, the focus?

The reoccurring point,

on which the meeting place hinges –

can be told from a trodden entrance

Trunk

Somewhere in the centre of Ireland,

a felled Beech – a former guardian,

feminine muse of the woodland – lies down

The choke, the chainsaw’s butterfly valve

turns a breathing engine,

ignites a flock from alders in earshot

The forklift tines

as arms beneath the fallen will,

raise to bed (of the bandsaw mill)

Timber

Sawn and planed, sections of decades present

the warmth of amber in its grain, with a body willed to bend

A bio-glue’s abundant, pre-tangled in timber:

when steam-stressed, lignin loosens,

a fragrant, beechwood treacle is produced

Pressed and clamped with tension straps

to moulds that keep the arc, the pliant plank

is kiln-dried, enough to route the craft

Rug

Sliding the shed door latches shuns

the winter sun from the carpet maker’s canvas,

the stump rings project upon his back

His gun, tufting, firing wool, fabricates –

with a primary, Persian palette. The piston

jolts the scissors head to help the needle thread.

Now the maker trails in circles,

To cut, to shear, to trim, to snip,

stray millimetres from the carpet’s surface

Sound

In conduits, currents cross the bridge,

and drape from pole to pole. They wait

among the terminals, to spiral copper coils

Invisible fields excite the driver’s paper cone,

wavelengths measuring rug to rafter, are swallowed

by a labyrinth in the cabinets stood around

Disturbed, displaced, detectable, and delicate:

air – elastic medium, amnesiac as the beach

– covers conversation tracks and carries calls with ease

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Poet: Michelle Delea

Editor: Paul Casey

Readers:

Michelle Delea (Cork)

Brendan Duffin (Antrim)

Cathal Holden (Kerry)

Ségolène Gaschignard (Nantes)

Aindrias de Staic (Clare)

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