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The Ideal Model of Socialist Modernism: Gheorgheni Housing Estate in Cluj
Full text linkThe paper addresses the Gheorgheni housing estate in Cluj (1964-1969) as a remarkably well-preserved example, representative of a particular phase in the evolution of socialist housing in Romania. It argues, in the context of the present debates on the notion of postwar modernism, that Gheorgheni is a proper modernist example and that this specific period in the history of Romanian socialist housing can be defined as the modernist period. This was a time when the state set up a housing production system adapted to mass scale at the national level, and when the first large housing estates emerged. A young generation of architects working in the newly created regional design institutes eagerly embraced modern architecture, in both its aesthetic and social dimension. Through an analysis based on interviews with architects, photographic archival material, publications of the time, and references to contemporary debates on postwar modernism, the paper identifies the sources that informed the Gheorgheni project and shows how it embodied the model of modernist housing in its "ideal" form – i.e., close to the classical functionalist model of modern architecture and urbanism. It demonstrates the consistency of its modernist project and claims that the coherent urban and architectural design, together with the social mixing of its residents, account for its success over time. Unlike other estates from the same period, it has suffered only minimal later interventions and it is still a desirable residential area today. Eventually, the objective is to make the case for the listing of the estate as a modern architectural and urban heritage monument that deserves preservation, despite the negative undifferentiating perception of postwar housing that persists in Romania today
International Conference Centre and Nile Hotel: A faint memory of past geopolitical alliances and ideals in Kampala, Uganda
Full text linkThe International Conference Centre and the adjacent Nile Hotel in Kampala were built in 1971-73 to facilitate the 12th Heads of State Summit conference of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) by architects from one of the founding countries of the Non-Aligned Movement: Tito’s Yugoslavia. Being too young to be considered historic, both buildings appear out of place and out of time, undervalued and overlooked in a city without a registry and planning control. While the conference center is in a well-maintained and original condition, the hotel’s renovation has transformed it beyond recognition. Their historical significance, particularly of the conference center, would hold value in any other context. However, in Uganda, it seems to bear no weight beyond the faint memory of past geopolitical alliances and ideals. The fact that the facility is disregarded as the venue for the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement summit reinforces this perception. This article describes these intricacies because they are rarely documented elsewhere. Consequently, it is a part of the Shared Heritage Africa project, aimed at rediscovering masterpieces of the Modern Movement
Campus Utopias: A visual re-reading
Full text link“Campus Utopias: A Visual Re-reading” describes a multidisciplinary graduate course conducted collaboratively by TU Delft and METU Ankara’s Architecture Departments in 2022. The research course focused on the key urban and architectural features of selected campus projects, examining how the modernist architects engaged in these designs were able to use them as a basis for the experimentation of new educational-residential models for living.This research paper explores the formal aspects of these campuses and their architectural significance. It recognizes the diverse geographies where the modern architectural movement took root and the active role played by political, economic, and cultural agents in shaping these projects. Working with local agents and situating modern architecture within its surrounding infrastructure and landscape helped master architects to integrate local architectural values and new building technologies.The article presents three case studies: Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, the University of Baghdad in Iraq, and the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas. These campuses were designed and built after World War II, representing the aspirations of newly installed governments. The article highlights the architectural approaches that incorporated environmental considerations and cultural inspirations and the socio-economic considerations in each project.The research methodology involves a comparative analysis of the campuses, focusing on their formal qualities and in-between spaces. The students involved in the graduate research course utilized various media and techniques of representation, including 3D digital drawings, models, collages, and physical reliefs. The work results were presented in the form of an exhibition titled “Campus Utopias” at TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment in April 2022. The student projects in this photo essay show the diversity of scale and make visible the similarities and differences in the overall campus design approaches of the three projects. The major focus is on the in-between spaces and the outcomes of the multidisciplinary work of architects, engineers, landscape architects, and artists
Examining the Recorded Histories of Nigeria's First Post-Independence Universities
Full text linkNigeria’s independence ushered in an era of university creation. Four new universities were established by 1962, just two years after attaining self-rule. Twenty-five years later, they each commissioned and published a book that documented their histories. This article employs a textual analysis of these publications within the context of contemporary research on university architecture in 20th-century Nigeria. It examines these books as a historical source for tracing the universities’ architectural histories. It further explores the ways they documented their built environment through their accounts of academic development, institutional changes, and nation-building goals. Finally, it reflects on the relevance of their sources, narratives, and limitations in reimagining the architectural history of Nigeria’s first universities
Histoire Matérielle du Bâti et Projet de Sauvegarde: Devenir de l’Architecture Moderne et Contemporaine: And more reviews
No full textLa Conservazione delle Policromie nell’Architettura del XX Secolo Conservation of Colour in 20th Century Architecture: And more reviews
No full textModern in Venice: Absorbing Modernity 1914–2014 at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition
Full text linkThe 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale is on display from June to November. This year’s edition is directed by Rem Koolhaas and is bringing major novelties. For the first time the event will be held for six months and was assembled for a longer period than ever be- fore. Koolhaas set this new schedule because he was committed to create a research-based exhibition. According to Paolo Baratta, the president of the Venice Biennale, this repre- sents an unprecedented method that had never been used in past editions. The director engaged all participants in the theme Fun- damentals and tried to establish a narrative between the show’s three main components: Absorbing Modernity, Elements of Architecture and Monditalia
12th International docomomo Conference: Espoo, Finland, August 2012
Full text linkdocomomo Suomi/Finland will host the 12th docomomo International Conference in Espoo, in 2012. Espoo is part of the greater metropolitan Helsinki area and parts of the conference program are held over the capital region. The Conference is hosted by the City of Espoo and Espoo City Museum and realized in collaboration with public and private organizations, the principal ones being the Alvar Aalto Foundation, the City of Helsinki, Museum of Finnish Architecture, The National Board of Antiquities, the Architectural Department of Aalto University, the Ministry of Culture and Education and the Ministry of Environment. The Conference coincides with the Helsinki region being the World Design Capital 2012, with numerous events and exhibitions dealing with design in all its aspects