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Conference on Architecture, European Urbanisation and Globalisation

Program of the Conference on Architecture, European Urbanisation and Globalisation

Day 1
Walferdange, University of Luxembourg, Lecture room Audimax
Globalisation

Global developments have an increasing impact on cities, regions and also on architecture.
Globalisation is an important field of research because cities and regions compete on a
global scale and increasingly need to specialise themselves. Global migrations have
consequences on the growth and shrinkage of regions. The prices of building materials
depend more and more on a global market. Differences between rich and poor, just as well
as between different cultures, produce conflicts that, as a consequence of asymmetrical
warfare are more and more fought out in cities. Architecture plays an important role in
these conflicts. Iconic buildings try to lend cities a new logo or identity, but architecture is
also often used as a tool in these conflicts: in an attempt to stabilise them or as a catalyst
to start up processes of change. Last but not least, encouraged by the rise and growth of
new cities and regions, a new kind of architect has emerged, that works from the beginning
on a global scale. But what could be the real chances and tasks for architects in a
globalised world? What new tools and attitudes should they bring in?

9.30 Welcome and opening by Prof. Dr. Michel Margue, Dean of the Faculty of
Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education at the University of
Luxembourg
9.45 Introduction of the day and moderation by Prof. Bart Lootsma, University of
Innsbruck, University of Luxembourg
10.00 Prof. Christian Schulz, University of Luxembourg
10.30 Prof. Murray Fraser, Professor of Architecture and Global Culture, Bartlett School
of Architecture, London
11.00 Coffee break
11.30 Brett Steele, Dean Architectural Association School of Architecture, London
12.00 Prof. Lars Lerup, Professor Rice University, Houston Texas
12.30 Lunch time
14.00 Prof. Jeffrey Inaba, Columbia School of Architecture, C-Lab, New York
14.30 Prof. Markus Miessen, Städelschule, Frankfurt, Harvard Research Fellow
15.00 Coffee break
15.30 Prof. Vincente Guallart, Institute of Advanced Architecture in Catalunya,
Barcelona/City Architect of Barcelona
16.00 Prof. Kjetil Thorsen, Snøhetta, Oslo/New York
16.30 Coffee break
17.00 Moderation by Prof. Bart Lootsma, University of Innsbruck, University of
Luxembourg
18.00 End of the session

Day 2
Luxembourg – Fondation de l’Architecture et de l’Ingénierie 
European Urbanisation

The European tradition of urbanisation is characterised among others by a special
relationship between historical substance, specific trajectories of urban planning and design
and more recent interventions, and also by an intense, sometimes fraught relationship
between communal and regional policies, public housing, public spaces, urban planning and
design. Still, within the European Union, many different national and regional traditions
coexist. The leitbild of the European city is extensively discussed and used by some as a
guideline for future plans; others interpret the hybrid forms of contemporary urbanisation as
a challenge to the traditional building culture and claim for developing innovative concepts.
These tensions between traditional and modern worlds indeed shape identities and, in the
course of time, have become embedded in laws and regulations. What does this mean,
concretely, for our urban environment as a constructed reality? Are the issues at stake the
same for the whole of Europe or do they differ from region to region and from place to
place? Should we build upon local traditions and maybe even reinforce them or should new,
European strategies and laws be developed to cope with urban development?

9.30 Welcome by the President of the Fondation de l’Architecture et de l’Ingénierie: Mr
Christian Bauer
9.45 Introduction of the day and moderation by Prof. Bart Lootsma, University of
Innsbruck, University of Luxembourg
10.00 Prof. Markus Hesse, University of Luxembourg
10.30 Marianne Brausch, University of Luxembourg
11.00 Coffee break
11.30 Prof. Stefano Boeri, Politecnico di Milano, editor in chief of Abitare magazine,
Milan
12.00 Prof. Wouter Vanstiphout, TU Delft
12.30 Lunch time
14.00 Prof. Sonja Beeck, TU Kassel/IBA Sachsen Anhalt/IBA Berlin
14.30 Ana Dzokic*, STEALTH, Rotterdam
15.00 Coffee break
15.30 Prof. Arno Brandlhuber, Academy of Fine Arts, Nuremberg
16.00 Prof. Winy Maas, TU Delft, Why?Factory
16.30 Coffee break
17.00 Moderation by Prof. Bart Lootsma, University of Innsbruck, University of
Luxembourg
18.00 End of the session
*To be confirmed

Day 3
Luxembourg – Fondation de l’Architecture et de l’Ingénierie
Architecture

The last decades, the role and meaning of architecture seem to have changed a great deal.
Probably never in history we witnessed such a multiplicity of styles and approaches that not
only follow each other more rapidly but also exist simultaneously next to each other. This
hollows out the traditional architectural debate. Globalisation makes architecture
increasingly footloose and less dependent on the home market. New, digital cad-cam design
and building processes have taken off, be it not always in the way architects originally
hoped they would. Blogs publish the most recent architectural highlights quickly all over the
world. Services like Google Image Search and Flickr are equally consulted world-wide and
deeply influence the visual production of architecture, making architecture definitively part
of the culture industry. At the same time, the market becomes more dominant and defining
than the public sector, producing a fierce competition among architects. In Europe, since
the privatisation of the housing market and the obligatory European competitions for public
buildings, architecture seems to be under strong economical pressure and architects seem
to loose political terrain in the field of long-term planning processes.
How do these changes manifest themselves in the architectural production today? How can
architects regain influence in the processes of urbanisation?

9.30 Welcome by the directress of the Fondation de l’Architecture et de l’Ingénierie :
Mrs Andrea Rumpf
9.45 Introduction of the day and moderation by Prof. Bart Lootsma, University of
Innsbruck, University of Luxembourg
10.00 Carole Schmit, University of Luxembourg
10.30 Prof. Aglaée Degros, TU Wien, Rotterdam/Wien
11.00 Coffee break
11.30 Hans Ibelings, Editor in Chief A10, Amsterdam
12.00 Prof. Roemer van Toorn, University of Umea
12.30 Lunch time
14.00 Prof. Mark Goulthorpe*, MIT, Cambridge (Mass.)
14.30 Dietmar Steiner, Director AzW, Vienna, President of ICAM.
15.00 Coffee break
15.30 Mirko Zardini, Director CCA Montreal
16.00 Prof. Mark Wigley*, Dean Columbia School of Architecture, New York
16.30 Coffee break
17.00 Moderation by Prof. Bart Lootsma, University of Innsbruck, University of
Luxembourg
18.00 End of the day and closing of the conference by Andrea Rumpf, Fondation d’Architecture et de l’Ingénerie, Luxembourg

In English - Open to public - No registration fee

more informations on the downloadable flyer

Reservation required: march@uni.lu

University of Luxembourg - Faculté des Lettres, des Sciences humaines, des Arts et des Sciences de l’Éducation - IPSE
Fondation de l'Architecture et l'Ingénierie
Groupe de travail pour le Master in Architecture / MArch