Venice Architecture Biennale / Mostra di Architettura di Venezia, the architecture section of the Venice Biennale, was established in 1980, although architecture had been a part of the art biennale since 1968.

In 1975, the first steps towards an architecture exhibition were taken by La Biennale di Venezia, an enlargement so significant that it entailed the appointment of a new director for the Visual Arts section, Vittorio Gregotti, during the four-year presidency of Carlo Ripa di Meana (1975-1978). It was in fact within the Visual Arts exhibition that the A proposito del Mulino Stucky exhibit at the Magazzini del Sale was organized by Vittorio Gregotti, followed by other architecture exhibitions in 1976 and 1978.

In 1980, the Architecture department finally became independent during the four-year presidency of Giuseppe Galasso (1979-1982), who appointed Paolo Portoghesi as director. After the Teatro del Mondo realized by Aldo Rossi (1979-1980), the new director organized in 1980 the 1st International Architecture Exhibition titled La presenza del passato.

Source: www.labiennale.org