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Course

AR-365: Theory and architectural culture

Summary

Le cours offre un résumé de la théorie et la culture architecturales depuis 1789 dans le monde occidentale. Le but est de comprendre des textes dans lesquels l'architecture est définie comme une discipline synthétisant une variété de thèmes (sociales, artistiques, politiques, philosophiques).

Lectures

Instructor

Christophe van Gerrewey

Christophe Van Gerrewey (1982) is an architecture critic and theorist, writing about contemporary buildings, their recent histories and intellectual dimensions, and their connections to society, philosophy, art and literature. In particular, he is an expert on the work of OMA/Rem Koolhaas as well as on Belgian architecture. He is one of the editors of architecture journal OASE, and of art and culture journal De Witte Raaf. In his writings, architecture is considered as a source of comprehensive and integrated knowledge that pertains to diverse disciplines – a way of looking at, and of understanding, many aspects of the world we live in. This gives his activities an unusually broad and comprehensive aspect, transcending divisions of knowledge. Since 2015, he is Assistant Professor Tenure Track of architecture theory at EPFL Lausanne. He was trained as an architect-engineer at Ghent University and as a literary theorist at KU Leuven. In Dutch, his mother tongue, he has published three novels and a collection of essays between 2013 and 2017.

Official source

https://edu.epfl.ch/coursebook/en/theory-and-architectural-culture-AR-365

Moodle Page

http://go.epfl.ch/AR-365

Summary

Lectures

Instructor

Christophe van Gerrewey

Official source

https://edu.epfl.ch/coursebook/en/theory-and-architectural-culture-AR-365

Moodle Page

http://go.epfl.ch/AR-365

Lectures in this course (39)

Architecture Philosophy: Gehry's Influence on Facebook's MPK20 Building

Explores the architectural philosophy behind Facebook's MPK20 building and Gehry's influence on contemporary design trends.

Spatial Concepts: Krauss + Foucault

Delves into the evolution of spatial concepts in modern art, exploring the significance of grids and the transition from medieval to infinite spaces.

Learning from Las Vegas: Symbolism and Form

Explores the forgotten symbolism of architectural form in Las Vegas, emphasizing the significance of A&P parking lots and commercial values, and the need for architects to adapt to diverse needs and social contexts.

Vienna Socialist Housing: Tafuri + Schmertz

Explores Vienna's socialist housing policies from 1919 to 1933, focusing on democratic initiatives, urban planning, and social impact.

Architecture Critique: Reconstruction and Preservation

Explores the critical analysis of architecture, emphasizing the concepts of reconstruction and preservation in urban spaces.

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