Recent demonstrations in public spaces of our cities are confirming a profound crisis of political institutions worldwide. While citizens are claiming a change in national political agendas to ask for more focus on their own everyday life concerns and less on global finances, public squares are emerging as places of political discussion. Moved by this contemporary interest, Intermediate Unit 8 have worked on redefining what constitutes a public space today, which is the role of the architect and the agency of people, and how innovation on fabrication methods might serve as fundamental tools for constructing a city of the commons.

This year the work of the unit has been located in the city of Mexico, a metropolis developed under neoliberal rules for the last two decades. The particular site for the unit work has been the massive modernist housing complex of Tlatelolco, and more specifically, the Plaza de las Tres Culturas. This urban square is well known not only for the mixed presence of Aztec, Spanish Colonial and Modernist constructions, but also for its past political life including the students’ massacre before 1968 Olympic Games. Based on a confrontation with the everyday life in the city, students have researched on the most “mundane” contemporary issues, including insecurity, informal economy, drug cartels, social segregation or cultural repression. These issues are the ones employed as alternative micro-agendas to inform the public space of today. After intense research and reflection on the realities of the city, students have proposed different material and programmatic tactics, reflecting on how traditional construction methods can be used to generate new fabrication techniques in which citizens have a more active role. Therefore, social participation and public action are considered a fundamental part in the definition of new political spaces as an endless process of contestation, negotiation and transformation.

4.12.11

Lecture on Temporary Structures-postponed

Thursday 8th of December Neil Thomas (Atelier One) and Manja van de Worp (TS) will give us a lecture about Kinetic Structures that will includen moveable and transformable structural examples useful for your final TS submission. The lecture will be in AA No.37 First Floor Front at 2pm.

Emilio Pérez Piñero

Neil Thomas: Engineering between Art and Rock and Roll

Founding Partner and Director of Atelier One, Neil Thomas, will talk about his experiences in conceiving and collaborating as a structural engineer on some of the very special projects in the art and entertainment world. Over the years he has worked with Mark Fisher and contemporary artists on projects that often involved temporary, movable or even travelling structures of varying scales and programmes.

Manja van de Worp: structures in motion

Manja is an architect and engineer from Holland who works at Arup’s special structures group after collaborating with Cecil Balmont’s advanced geometry unit for years. She also teaches Technical studies at the AA Intermediate school and has lectured at universities in Holland and throughout Europe.

Followed by an open discussion and presentation of student work/ideas from Intermediate 08


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