Jonathan Boelkins is the Project Coordinator and Exhibition Architect for the US Pavilion at the 19th Architecture Biennale.

The design of the interior of the US Pavilion complements the design of the new canopy, deck, and seating outside, by celebrating the efforts of designers from across the country and presenting an engaging past, present, and future of the porch through books and graphic presentations.

Using a series of abstracted architectural elements found on porches – columns, windows, shutters, tables – a distinct and memorable exhibition is created that extends and heightens the experience of the porch that begins outside. Quietly affirming and continuing the design of the exterior, the deck itself continues uninterrupted inside the Pavilion. This new wood ‘deck’ creates a powerful material contrast to the Neo-Classical detailing and materials of the existing building.

The warmth and scale of the wood deck informs the design and detailing of the displays that house a series of ‘Porch Windows’ - interpretations of important porches. Also on display are curated works of art and furniture, a bookshelf featuring a ‘citizen’s library’ of relevant texts, and a site-specific piece titled ‘American Canopy’ that abstracts the American forest in the rotunda.