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Symposium
Rien ne va plus / Faites vos jeux: On the Economic Crisis and its Intricate Relation to Architecture

17 June 2010
10:00 - 18:00 hours
Berlage Institute, Rotterdam
Entrance fee: 15 euro incl. lunch (students 10 euro)

A one-day symposium considering the economic crisis in relation to architecture and a possible agenda for the future of architectural practice.

Speakers: Pier Vittorio Aureli, Head of "The City as a Project" PhD Program, Berlage Institute, Rotterdam; Thomas Kong, architect, Jaap Bakema Fellow; Winy Maas, founding partner, MVRDV, Rotterdam; Bjarne Mastenbroek, founding architect, SeARCH, director, BNA; Daniel Niggli and Matthias Müller, founding architects, EM2N; Philipp Oswalt, director, Stiftung Bauhaus, Dessau; and Rudy Stroink, director, TCN Properties. It was be moderated by Roemer van Toorn, Head of the Projective Theory Program, Berlage Institute, Rotterdam; and Hans Ibelings, Editor-in-Chief, A10 New European Architecture Magazine, Amsterdam.

The Berlage Institute, in conjunction with A10 New European Architecture Magazine, NAiM / Bureau Europa, and the Powerhouse Company, presented the symposium entitled Rien ne va plus / Faites vos jeux on Thursday, 17 June. The symposium considered the economic crisis in relation to architecture and a possible agenda for the future of architectural practice.

 

The program started with the premise that we are confronted today with a range of crises intrinsically related to one another: the financial crisis; the climate crisis; the financial, technical, and organizational deadlock in the building industry; concerns over aging populations; and a moral crisis that impedes us from formulating an appropriate attitude towards the all the former. All these crises have a direct influence on the practice of architecture and the position of the architect or urban planner in society. In a series of five conversations, renowned thinkers and architects were invited to debate on the current state of affairs in the building industry and to consider possible solutions for a more successful future practice.

Do architects and urban designers carry responsibility when it comes to the 'boom' in the building industry prior to the crisis? How will the changes in financial regulation influence the practice of architecture and city planning? What are the opportunities within design and architecture in relation to sustainability, a contemporary culture of disposability, the shrinkage of cities, and aging populations? How do varying rules and restrictions influence the architectural process in different political contexts? Should the architect claim an autonomous position, or should he or she actively engage in the reality of political and economic circumstances?