"The Moon Catcher" displayed at the Venice Biennial Architecture Exhibition

The Moon Catcher is a student project that has received several prestigious architecture awards. This year, it has been displayed at the Venice Biennial Architecture Exhibition - Time Space Existence 2021, which aims to rethink architecture and re-envision new ways of living and promoting innovative approaches. This is the fifth edition of the exhibition presented by the European Cultural Centre, and the project can be seen in Palazzo Mora from May 22, 2021, until November 21, 2021. From mid-July, the exhibition will also be available online as a virtual tour.

"The Moon Catcher" Photo credit : Piotr Smiechowicz

Project Description

Contemporary problems in London have exacerbated social media hate crimes, which are often associated with increased mental health issues that have led to a large percentage of young people suffering from anxiety, depression, and even considering suicide. Approximately 2 million Londoners have experienced detrimental effects to their mental health this year, largely attributable to social media technologies and emerging trends, such as the Posthumanism – we already have sexbots able to actualize our desires – isolating even the most intimate aspects of our lives. The Loneliness Experiment, conducted by Radio 4, indicated that 40% of people aged 16-24 feel lonely and disconnected, despite an abundance of “online” friends on social media platforms such as Facebook.

"The Moon Catcher" Photo credit : Piotr Smiechowicz

"The Moon Catcher" Photo credit : Piotr Smiechowicz

"The Moon Catcher" Photo credit : Piotr Smiechowicz

"The Moon Catcher" Photo credit : Piotr Smiechowicz

"The Moon Catcher" Photo credit : Piotr Smiechowicz

Photo credit : Piotr Smiechowicz

Acquiescing Soho’s notorious history of nightlife culture and the sex industry, the Moon Catcher proposes a diurnal space whereby young people are able to connect with nature’s beauty, escape the blue light of their screens, and experience the pleasures offered by Epicureanism, i.e. of body and mind. In daylight, users can broaden their knowledge of cosmology and mental health, and stretch out on the craterous urban beach. At dusk, collective moonbathing becomes the dernier cri, welcoming extraterrestrial pleasures from the moon’s 8-phase cycle, before retiring to a private hotel room at the first light of dawn.

“Is the sky really the limit?”

"The Moon Catcher" was awarded:

• AMP Best of Best Winner in the Culture Architecture Category (2020) - The Architecture Master Prize
• AMP Student Winner in the Other Interior Design Category (2020) - The Architecture Master Prize
• RIBA Silver Medal Commendation (2019) - The Royal Institute of British Architects
• Jury Nomination Award in the Architecture and Landscape Category (2019) - C-IDEA and Taiwan Creative Star Design Award
• Nomination for AJ Students Prize (2019) - The Architects’ Journal

Time Space Existence 2021 - The Venice Biennial Architecture Exhibition
Photo credit: London South Bank University

About Piotr Smiechowicz

Piotr Smiechowicz is an architectural designer with a background in art, architecture, and structural engineering. He is currently involved in the design and construction of a range of architectural typologies, from public buildings, to commercial and cultural projects in Central London. Piotr has been working on a few personal research projects on the potential use of new energies, technologies in the context of sustainable development, and the psychology of perception, specifically relating to human behaviours and society. with a primary focus on the impact of architecture and urbanism on loneliness and isolation. Recently, he has prepared a space research project for students, fostering a better understanding of the possibilities of such technology on Earth. His intention is to further this research and to study how the space industry may have positive impacts on our architecture and the way that we envision design.