Urban Interplay
Community, Identity and Space
Francine Houben of Mecanoo architecten and Benedetta Tagliabue of EMBT are two of today’s leading architects. On the occasion of the opening of the corresponding Aedes exhibitions, ANCB presents lectures by both architects, who share a common focus on the importance of interaction in public space.
© Mecanoo, Benedetta Tagliabue
Date: Saturday, 18 October 2014
Introduction
People, Place, Purpose – Francine Houben
Francine Houben is the founder and creative director of Mecanoo architecten. She has sought to create buildings that ‘touch all the senses’, encompassing emotional, social, playful and humane aspects as well as intellectual, conceptual and visual ones. In her lecture Francine Houben will present her vision on public buildings and how they should fundamentally respect, engage and activate social and natural environments. She will introduce Mecanoo’s major public projects, such as the Library of Birmingham, UK, the municipal offices and train station of Delft, the Netherlands, the Wei-Wu-Ying Center for the Arts in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Boston, USA. All projects share a focus on interaction between people and place, fostering a sense of community, and a transparent design that encourages visitors to stick around, both inside and outside. Francine Houben ultimately believes that public buildings are the social and cultural heart of society.
Francine Houben is the founder and creative director of Mecanoo architecten. She has sought to create buildings that ‘touch all the senses’, encompassing emotional, social, playful and humane aspects as well as intellectual, conceptual and visual ones. In her lecture Francine Houben will present her vision on public buildings and how they should fundamentally respect, engage and activate social and natural environments. She will introduce Mecanoo’s major public projects, such as the Library of Birmingham, UK, the municipal offices and train station of Delft, the Netherlands, the Wei-Wu-Ying Center for the Arts in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Boston, USA. All projects share a focus on interaction between people and place, fostering a sense of community, and a transparent design that encourages visitors to stick around, both inside and outside. Francine Houben ultimately believes that public buildings are the social and cultural heart of society.
Barcelona RE.SET – Benedetta Tagliabue
Benedetta Tagliabue is the principal of Miralles Tagliabue EMBT and president of the Fundació Enric Miralles. In this lecture she will present the work of the Fundació Enric Miralles, with a focus on the recent urban intervention project, ‘BCN RE.SET’, which she carried out with the stage director Àlex Ollé. Six international architects were invited to create ephemeral installations in some of Barcelona’s most symbolic public spaces, each reflecting on different themes linked to the commemoration events encompassed in the Tercentenary BCN programme: identity, diversity, freedom, democracy, memory and Europe. The project considers the relationship between citizens and the city in a combined educational, architectural and artistic initiative.
Programme
Welcome and Introduction
Kristin Feireiss, Director, Aedes Architecture Forum and ANCB The Metropolitan Laboratory, Berlin
Lectures
Francine Houben, Founder and Creative Director, Mecanoo architecten, Delft: People, Place, Purpose
Benedetta Tagliabue, Principal, Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, Fundació Enric Miralles, Barcelona: Barcelona RE.SET
There will be an opportunity for Q+A
In collaboration with the Dutch Embassy in Berlin.
