The word “crisis” could already be voted the word of the 21st century, at least in the countries of the Western world. It seems to be almost omnipresent, certainly not only since 9/11, and it seems a bit unlikely that we'll see the back of it any time soon. After one crisis there always seems to be just another crisis.
So it seems interesting (or perhaps optimistic?) that an international two-day-conference in Karlsruhe (Germany) addresses “Architecture and Urbanism After Crisis”. On 31 January and 1 February, the local Institute for Technology (KIT) brings together some great speakers from all over the world like Charles Waldheim and John E. Irving (Harvard GSD), Isabel Concheiro (Lausanne), Dan Hill (Sydney), Regina Bittner (Bauhaus Dessau), Andres Lepik (Munich), and the current mayor of Reykjavik, Jon Gnarr. The organizers state: “The global financial crisis has become an urban crisis. Our conference would like to discuss its causes, repercussions and possible problem-solving solutions for the developments in urban planning and architecture. Where are the changes first perceived, and what is society’s response to this upheaval? Which positions are taken by the individual, by government policies and by designers? The main focus lies on the issues of public space, economy, identity and infrastructure, which emerge as key factors in the current discourse. What will we make of these notions in the future, and which tools do we need for shaping? What happens after the crisis?!” It might well be that we’ll soon be facing a “New Babylon”, as the title of the conference suggests.
Attending “New Babylon” is for free, but you need to register for the conference via email before 23 January: anmeldung@after-crisis.com
New Babylon. Architecture and Urbanism after Crisis.
31 January (from 6.30 pm) and 1 February, 2013
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Faculty of Architecture
Lecture Hall Egon Eiermann, Englerstrasse 7, 76131
Karlsruhe
Germany
www.after-crisis.com
Blog Agenda 18 Jan 2013
