Kristian Koreman a Dutch Architect and founder of ZUS (Zones Urbaines Sensibles) and George Brugmans, the Director of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam spoke yesterday as part of The AIA lecture series at the North Avenue Market. Topic: "Open City".
Kristian seriously drew some parallels between Baltimore and Rotterdam in terms of problems and referred to relatively high commercial vacancy rates. He spoke about the "leveraged economy" which supplanted the "real economy" and leads to wasteful and vast new developments leaving a lot of stuff lying fallow. He set out to reclaim such sixties calls B and C office space with guerrilla methods of design "spreading urban elements like a virus".
Kristian bought a 8000 square-meter building in Rotterdam and turned it into a design lab. (Schieblock).One floor is available as an "office hotel", i.e. people can get work cubicles on an hourly basis. His own firm resides in the building which was converted by using direct design. Sledgehammer and measuring tape in hand layouts were created right on the spot and within a few weeks a dead-zone had been converted into a lively area of experimentation including a "Centre for Unsolicited Architecture." Great inspiration for the Design Center we are starting up here in Baltimore! If you want to see some Rotterdam and hear some Dutch go to http://www.zus.cc/news/items/n013_RTV_update.php?1=y
Kristian admitted at dinner after the talk that Baltimore's "Wire neighborhoods" had quite depressed him, he hadn't quite expected THIS level of abandonment. He will be in New York a lot starting in June for the BMW-Guggenheim interdisciplinary experiment. http://www.guggenheim.org/guggenheim-foundation/collaborations/bmw-guggenheim
This from the ZUS Mission link on their website www.ZUS.cc
ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles] researches and intervenes in the contemporary urban landscape with productions ranging from urban plans and architecture to installations and fashion. Within this complex field we find ourselves constantly in between two positions: as co-author and as critic.
YES
ZUS works with a belief that every place has the potential to become unique and thrilling. A spatial intervention should therefore always be inspired by the specific qualities of the situation and driven by an optimistic attitude. We have to deal with rapid changing conditions and adapt our tactics to give shape to our constantly modernizing society. With designs for urban districts, parcs, public spaces, buildings and installations we try to contribute to a collective and sustainable future.
NO
Architecture has become marginalized in the last two decades by responding mainly to the demands of the market. ZUS reclaims the public role of the architect by making social challenges explicit by means of unsolicited architecture and architectural activism. With proposals, exhibitions and publications we not only contribute but also question and criticize the field we work in.
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