Stars and budding architects from 55 countries will be taking part in the 13th Venice Biennale for architecture, curated by British architect David Chipperfield, organizers said on Wednesday.

“The central theme of the 2012 Biennale is what we have in common,” said Chipperfield, who is renowned for his clean and almost muted designs and will be the first British architect to curate the world‘s largest architecture show.

The Biennale’s 58 projects, designed by 103 architects, photographers and artists, will be hosted in the Arsenale historic shipyards and the nearby Giardini parks, as well as in other spots dotted around the watery city.

Among the world-famous architects on show will be British-Iraqi Zaha Hadid, the Manchester-born Norman Foster, Swiss designers Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and Kazuyo Sejima from Japan.

“The exhibition‘s ambition is to reaffirm the existence of an architectural culture made up not only of individual talents but also a rich patrimony of different ideas brought together in a common story,” Chipperfield said.

Five countries -- Angola, Kosovo, Kuwait, Peru and Turkey -- will be taking part in the Biennale for the first time.

Chipperfield, whose designs include the Figge Art Museum in Iowa and the Turner Contemporary gallery in Britain, is “a personality who cultivates an intense vision of pragmatic architecture”, said Biennale head Paolo Baratta.

The Biennale will run from Aug. 29 to Nov. 25. (AFP)