Ministry for Common Land

The British Council presented The Garden of Privatised Delights at the British Pavilion for the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, running from 22 May – 21 November 2021.

The exhibition explored the privatisation of public space in the UK today, and considered the role that design and architecture can take in supporting a more inclusive future.

public works were one of five teams of architects, designers and researchers, brought together by curators Manijeh Verghese and Madeleine Kessler. Together we proposed new ideas for ownership of, and access to, privatised public space – from the pub to the playground, common land to the garden square, the high street to facial recognition technology. Each room within the British Pavilion presented a new model for the future of public space through an immersive installation, designed to engage the public in the debate.

public works created a speculative Ministry called the Ministry of Common Land, asking the question, how can we develop new strategies for land ownership and use? Our contribution to the exhibition called for architects to challenge the enclosure of land for the profit of the few, and innovate in new forms of practice to make this possible. Inside, visitors discovered the findings of the ministry’s first People’s Assembly. Current and future propositions for land ownership are performed on banners across the walls, alongside symbolic architectural elements designed to support the ministry and its position in society. We asked how land could move away from being a market commodity to be re-imagined as a resource for the long-term protection of people and the planet. These ideas are tested on public works project LJ Works, which sees the development of a piece of land in London into a range of community facilities.