A pavilion of 35 unique QR codes has been erected as part of the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale, all of which contain information about the development of Skolkovo, a new business section of the city of Moscow. Due for completion in 2017, Skolkovo is intended to become a digital district, Russia’s very own Silicon Valley.

QR codes are often used on leaflets and posters to create a digital link on print media, which can be scanned by smartphones to direct users to the relevant website. Upon entering the pavilion, visitors to the exhibition were given a tablet with built-in scanning software and encouraged to “decode” the plans for the development by scanning each QR square in turn.

The pavilion’s commissioner Grigory Revzin commented: “Skolkovo is a high-tech project; it’s all about innovation, about [a] new level of living, about how science and modern technologies come into human’s life. That is why our exposition is an exceptional one this year. We have created a space that is physical and virtual at the same time.”