VectorWorks User Wins Venice Biennale's International Design Competition for the New Palazzo del Cinema and Surrounding Areas

Columbia, Maryland (September 19, 2005)—Nemetschek North America announced today that VectorWorks users 5+1 architetti associati, of Genoa, Italy, won The Venice Biennale's international design competition for the construction of the New Palazzo del Cinema and surrounding areas. The new building will serve as the headquarters of the Venice International Film Festival, for which it will host all main functions. The building and surrounding areas will also provide a location for gatherings and other cultural events.

"In order to meet the design competition's objectives, we created a long hall with a glass wall to be built partially underground and covered with a mixture of resin and natural materials, so that the surrounding area, urban landscape and adjacent seascape are successfully integrated," states Alfonso Femia, lead architect on the project and one of the five principals of 5+1 architetti associati. "Using VectorWorks we were able to create an accurate, yet organic answer to the functional requirements of the competition. Thanks to flexible NURBS surface and solid modeling tools found in VectorWorks, we had complete control over the fluid shape of the hall and the glass wall overlooking the garden. When we decided to present our competition drawings on a black background, we knew that it could only be possible with VectorWorks to have such precise control of line thickness for clarity and readability. VectorWorks has helped us attain our highest professional and personal goals, and for that we are thankful."

"5+1 has been a long-time beta tester, so we're happy to hear the product they have helped us create is a key tool in engineering the success of the firm's team of world-class architects," says Sean Flaherty, Nemetschek North America's chief executive officer.

Founded in 1893 as a national biennial art exhibition, The Venice Biennale is one of the oldest and most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Today, the organization is an interdisciplinary foundation dealing with architecture, the visual arts, cinema, dance, music and theater. The Venice International Film Festival, one of its more famous annual events, is now in its 63rd year.

Nemetschek North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of European software giant Nemetschek AG. A global leader in design technologies, Nemetschek N.A. has been developing CAD software for the AEC, entertainment, landscape design, and manufacturing fields since 1985. VectorWorks, its flagship product, is one of the world's best-selling cross-platform CAD applications. It is available in more than 85 countries and is translated into seven languages. An all-in-one solution that's easier to learn and use and more cost-effective than most other CAD programs, VectorWorks is ideal for firms that don't have unlimited IT budgets. For more information, visit www.nemetschek.net.