It is the biggest and most prestigious gathering of architects in the world - and Scotland finally has a place alongside the best in the business.

Today Scotland will open its first exhibition at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. It is a large wooden structure made from Scots larch called A Gathering Space, built in one of the busiest spots in a city of iconic views and bustling canals.

Although it is being billed as an exhibition, A Gathering Space is a Scottish pavilion in all but name, marking a separate presence from the British Council pavilion for the first time in the 11-year history of the festival.

Designed by Gareth Hoskins Architects, it stands at the Piazzale della Stazione Santa Lucia, outside the main railway station and close to the controversial new Calatrava Bridge which is expected to open this month.

The pavilion has been funded by £75,000 from the Scottish Government and is organised by The Lighthouse, the national architecture and design centre, based in Glasgow.

More than 50 architectural practices entered the competition to create the official pavilion, which will be the centre for a series of discussions, film screenings and events including a British Council debate.

Hoskins's design is a set of stairs, which enclose both an indoor auditorium, for 100 people, and an outdoor area seating 200 people. The firm has been behind key Scottish buildings including the new Culloden Battlefield visitor centre, near Inverness, the Bridge Arts Centre in Easterhouse, Glasgow, and Robin House children's hospice in Balloch.

Venice, apart from being a popular tourist destination, is home to a number of cultural festivals.

Its renowned film festival closed only last week, and next year its other, more famous, Biennale - of contemporary art, for which Scotland will unveil its official artist next week - will be staged in the palaces, alleys, gardens and squares of the city.

Scotland's cultural community has had its eyes on Venice as a showcase for its wares since the early 2000s. In 2003, Scotland staged an official separate pavilion at the Biennale of contemporary art for the first time in the modern era, a venture which was repeated in 2005 and 2007.

It will also stage a show in 2009, but with a single artist, rather than a collection of artists, as has been the case with the last three events. It will be curated by Dundee Contemporary Arts, and the identity of the artist chosen will be unveiled next week, it is understood.

The organisers of A Gathering Space believe that Scotland will enhance its position in the world of architecture and design by its presence.

Nick Barley, director of The Lighthouse, said that Scotland's presence in Venice was a "landmark" event for Scottish architecture and design.

It opens today, the same day as the main British Pavilion at the festival.

"This is one of the biggest architecture events in the world, architects from all over the world come here, 150,000 people coming for this event," he said. "They are all coming here to talk about making a difference to how buildings are built and planned.

"If there is any talking about those subjects, the talking is here in Venice. So I think it is vital that Scotland has a presence here.

"We are not in competition with the British Council's site, we see ourselves as an addition, but we thought rather than just talking about the state of Scottish architecture in Scotland, we would build a piece of Scottish architecture in Venice."

He added: "I think this will be a landmark event for Scottish architecture."

Hoskins said: "I think the analogy we are making - even if the art Biennale is perhaps better known - is that this is the Cannes Film Festival of the architecture world. It is very much like Cannes in that it is about the work, it is not a glorified trade fair, it's at the higher end.

"It is about all the countries showing off the design edge that they have. But in terms of importance, it is the pre-eminent architecture show in the world and it is great that Scotland is part of it."

He added: "In terms of Scotland, it is good to have a presence, and even though it is not, like in other countries' cases, an exhibition of architecture, it is getting all the headlines in the trade press and everyone seems to be talking about it. It is right outside the main train station, so it is in a great location."

Tonight will see the press view of A Gathering Space, and the launch of the Lighthouse's Architecture Series of books.