2004
Theory and Design in the Digital Age
Professors:
Theory: Nigel Whiteley
Workshop: Penezić & Rogina architects
Guest critics:
Dalibor Martinis, video artist
Tihomir Milovac, curator
Hrvoje Njirić, architect
Iva Körbler, fine arts critic
Krešimir Galović, art historian
Tomaž Brate, arch theoretician
Time:
7–14 August 2004
1. Living in the 4th Machine Age
How do we define the chief characteristics of living in the 21st century? How are they connected? How do they differ from the characteristics of previous ages? Is there contradiction and/or diversity in these values? Followed by a discussion of the characteristics of the four different machine ages and their implications for architecture
A discussion involving all the students – a brainstorming session. Characteristics will be written up and discussed, then the concept of Four Machine Ages introduced.
2. Environments for living
Taking the list of characteristics from the first session, this session will discuss environments – from the conventionally architectural (eg churches) to the popular and ephemeral (e.g. bars, airports, clubs, theme parks) – that facilitate, enhance or intensify the characteristics. What is the relevance of these types of environments to digital living?
More brainstorming to think of what environments do and how they communicate their values.
3. Cedric Price: Grand Master of anonymity
What was Cedric Price’s philosophy and how does it relate to architectural values? In what ways is it relevant to today? The idea of “well-serviced anonymity” and his place in its history (eg drive-in movie theatres; Bucky Fuller, inflatables, even SOM; Reyner Banham’s “A Home is Not a House” and The Architecture of the Well-tempered Environment)
4. Surprise, Imagination and Delight
The role of fun and fantasy in architecture and its relation to architectural form and monuments. Historical examples from the Baroque to Las Vegas, Archigram and Gehry. The idea of uniqueness of a place.
5. Transparency: a changing condition of architecture
This session will focus on the changing use and meaning of transparency in architecture, from Modernist notions of morality and honesty, through post-War passions for display, to complex contemporary ideas about openness and surveillance.
Grožnjan Summer School of Architecture
JMI CENTRE GROŽNJAN
Umberta Gorjana 2, 52429 Grožnjan, Croatia
groznjanschoolofarchitecture@gmail.com
