Since 1895, the Venice Biennale has become the breeding ground for innovative design with exhibitions in art, architecture, music, dance, and theater and film. The event generally takes place once every two years; this year's event opened Sunday, and will run through November 21.

The International Architecture Exhibition was directed by award-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima with the theme, People Meet in Architecture. Nearly 48 architects, engineers and artists from Albania, Kingdom of Bahrain, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, Republic of Rwanda constructed a space on behalf of their country.

Sou Fujimoto Architects, Primitive Future House

An international jury recognized the following participants in the exhibition for awards:

The Golden Lion for Best National Participation was given to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the range of vast urban developments and the nation’s relationship with its rapidly changing coastline.

The Golden Lion for Best Project went to Architecture as air: study for château la coste for the vision of its author, Junya Ishigami. The jury noted that the work pushes the limits of materiality, visibility, tectonics, thinness, and ultimately of architecture itself.

The Silver Lion for a Promising Young Participant went to architects OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen in collaboration with photographer Bas Princen for their ability to reconcile photographic analysis and design intervention into a coherent vision.

Wang Shu - Amateur Architecture Studio's Decay of a Dome

Special mentions were awarded to Decay of a Dome by the team Wang Shu, Vito Bertin, Lu WenYu of Amateur Architecture Studio for a project whose structure – light, mobile and simple – can be speedily constructed or returned to nothingness; Studio Mumbai Architects for the immersive environment presented in their installation; and landscape architect Piet Oudolf for Il Giardino delle Vergini, his garden which the jury deemed an effective transposition into the landscape of la Biennale’s theme.

Rem Koolhaas & Reinier De Graaf, The Image of Europe - Het Beeld Van Europa

The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement went to Rem Koolhaas and the Golden Lion in memoriam went to Kazuo Shinohara.