The origins of the Biennale date back to 1895, when the first International Art Exhibition was held in the “Napoleonic Gardens.” It was the beginning of a great success story. The alternating Art and Architecture Biennale have developed into the world's largest events of their kind. The main exhibition areas are the Giardini and the Arsenale. The first permanent national pavilions were built in the gardens in 1907, and many renowned architects have worked here, including Alvar Aalto, Gerrit Rietveld, James Stirling, and many others. Since the first Architecture Biennale in 1980, the former shipyard of the Serenissima has also been part of the Biennale grounds. The contribution of the annually changing chief curator can be seen in the old rope halls, the Corderie. The Biennials of recent years have shown that the exhibition is increasingly understood as an experimental space in which the themes of future building are examined in a laboratory-like setting.