INSIGHT IN SITE
Globalisation, crisis and critical regionalism

“How to become modern and to return to resources”.
Paul Ricoeur, History and Truth

In the conference we intended to discuss the concept and potentials of critical regionalism in the third millennium. After the fall of the first wave of “globalisation” through the economic crisis in 2008 and with the rise of ecological and other crises, it is becoming increasingly evident that “universal civilisation” needs to respect the knowledge and experiences of “autonomous cultures”, like Kenneth Frampton pointed out in his famous essay “Towards a Critical Regionalism” in 1983, almost 40 years ago. Critical regionalism here and now, which doesn’t solely represent a certain architectural theory and related spatial practices, but also a paradigmatic spatial turn from abstract space to concrete place. Critical regionalism can thus help us solve the problems of urbanisation, the relation between historic towns and suburbia, regions and states, states and continents, continents and the entire planet… Through critical regionalism, which – as indicated by the name itself – combines cosmopolitan critical viewpoint with regionalism as a sense of local specificity, universal civilization can be attuned to autonomous cultures, and all of them to nature. The various crises, which always start locally, but later become increasingly global, whether urban, ecological, financial, health-related or last but not least war crises, also have a common denominator in space and are much easier to solve with a changed spatial paradigm. By pursuing critical regionalism (Kenneth Frampton), through the phenomenology of senses (Juhani Pallasmaa), and by utilising spatial and place principles, it may be possible to guide architectural and urban development and once again establish links between the modern and the traditional, the scientific and the artistic, the technological and human, the cultural and the natural. Such urban development would no longer address only contemporary sustainability but also be able to sustain the future. We can come from “clashes of civilisations” to “the coexistence of cultures” – with a proper change we have a chance to develop this ability…

In a world where technology seems to be the driving force in our everyday living and working, where evolution of so-called “artificial intelligence” can be even more powerful than “industrial revolution”, maintaining the human touch and unity has never been more important. Working and creating together can benefit not just the design process and the work of the studio, but the growth of our own being as well.

Instead of chasing different postmodern strains of “virtual reality” and “reality shows”, where people lose themselves as in ancient labyrinths, it would be, above all, a good idea to rediscover the real. Beyond virtual-ity, we can discover the virtue-lity of real… We can think in a such subtle way as if to almost touch the thing as such and come closer to reality in its safety … We do not just need an analytical review of the objective and subjective, technological and human, outside and inside – what we really need is an insight into the spatial dimensions of a place, we need the insight in site, here and now!

Curators: Janko Rožič (ODPRTI KROG), Erik Jurišević (KONNTRA)

Conference in 3 parts

Conference will be held in 3 parts:

21. 4., Online and in Ogledaljarna, Ljubljana
Speakers: Nikola Andonov; MADA Architecture studio, Paradigma Ariadné, BC architects & studies, Janko Rožič, Odprti krog, Erik Juriševič; KONNTRA (more information and registration here)

5. 5., Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana
Speaker: Juhani Pallasmaa (more information and registration here)

26. 5., online and in Ogledaljarna, Ljubljana
Speakers: Juhani Pallasmaa, Renato Bocchi, Janko Rožič; Odprti krog, Uroš Lobnik

Speakers

FROM SPACE TO PLACE
Existential experience in architecture

Theorists like Sigfried Giedion and modernist architects understood space as the central notion in architecture. However, experiential space, situation and place are seminal in all arts, as they all mediate our relationship with the world.

Space is primarily a theoretical notion of physics, while the experience of space turns away from neutrality into experiential and existential place. Place is rooted in experience and it is mentally more constitutive than space. Architecture is deeply engaged in this lived meaning of space as well as time; we exist simultaneous in place and time. We exist in »the flesh of the world«, to use a notion of Merleau-Ponty, and the task of architecture is to relate us with this experiential flesh and dignify it. This task implies a distinct relationality and mediation. ”We come to see not the work of art, but the world according to it”, Merleau-Ponty suggests, and this applies specifically to the art of architecture. Architecture is a deeply relational art.

The idea of Critical Regionalism calls for the geographic, climatic, cultural and historical fusion and attunement of buildings and cities, but is Regionalism a valid possibility in today’s globalized culture of Consumerism? Arent our constructions today conditioned by the; »Aesthetic Capitalism«, that philosopher Gernot Böhme wrote about?

About Juhani Pallasmaa

Renato Bocchi, Italy

Renato Bocchi (Trento,1949), has been full professor of Architectural and Urban Design at the Iuav University of Venice, where directed the Architectural Design Department from 2005 to 2008, now he holds courses of Theory of Architecture at Iuav Venice and at the Doctorate of the University of Rome “Sapienza”.

He was lecturer in many European Universities and in the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, in 2005 and 2010. The main field of his research is the relationship among art, architecture, city and landscape. He is editor of the series “Space Landscape Architecture”, Gangemi Pbs, Rome. Recently he coordinated a wide research programme entitled Re-cycle Italy, of which he directs the series Re-cycle Italy, Aracne Pbs, Rome.

Among his recent books:  Progettare lo spazio e il movimento, Gangemi, Roma 2009,  La materia del vuoto, Universalia, Pordenone 2015.
See: https://iuav.academia.edu/RBocchi

Uroš Lobnik, Slovenia

Uroš Lobnik (Maribor, 1965) is an architect, urbanist, architectural theoretician and a lecturer. He works at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture at the University of Maribor, where he is the head of the Department of Architecture and Section for Spatial Planning. Between 2011 – 2015, he was the University architect.

 He writes articles on the topics of urbanism and architecture. was the cofounder and the editor of the Večer newspaper’s weekly supplement Architectural Words (Arhitekturne besede) for almost twenty years. He is a member of the Architect’s Bulletin (Arhitektov bilten) and Piranesi magazine editorial boards. He organizes Slovenian and international workshops on architecture and urbanism.  

 While working at the Maribor Office of Urban Planning, he was in charge of managing the development of Maribor urban design scheme (1995 – 2000). He is a co-founder of the AU arhitekti d.o.o. architectural studio (2000). His most important works are as following: Lendava grammar school, Rogač business premises, multi-purpose regional centre Rinka in Solčava (in cooperation with J. Rožič), marking signs for the European Capital of Culture 2012, the renovation of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture of the Maribor University (in cooperation with Zadravec arhitekti d.o.o.), interior and exhibition for EXPANO in Murska Sobota.

 His is the author of numerous awarded architectural and urban-planning projects, and he is the winner of some notable domestic and international awards such as the European Urban Research Association Award (2001), the Golden Pencil Award (2013), Constructive Alps Award 2013 – 3rd place, the Plečnik medal (1997, 2013, 2017).

Janko Rožič, Odprti krog, Slovenia

Janko Rožič (Jesenice, 1959) is an architect, urbanist, architectural theoretician, a lecturer and an essayist. He works in his own architectural studio together with some other architects of the Odprti krog (G. Drašler, J. Polda, J. Kolić, P. Benedičič …). He used to work as a research assistant at the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana (1988 – 1996), and as an advisor to the Slovenian Minister of Culture (2005 – 2007). Since 2012, he is a lecturer at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture at the University of Maribor.

He was a prime mover and an architect of the world-famous youth hostel Celica (Cell) which has received numerous awards. He designed the Celica youth hostel in cooperation with some other creative artists and architects (Kočica, Okorn, Krmelj, Ostan, Zorko, Drašler KUD Sestava). He got the Golden Sower Award (Zlati sejalec) in 2013 for the Raduha house in Luče (with Drašler and Suhadolc), the Golden Pencil Award (2012), Plečnik medal and the Constructive Alps 2013 international award for the multipurpose centre Rinka in Solčava (with Lobnik and Podlipnik).

His theoretical and practical work, which is based on spatial principles and linguistic patterns, aims to combine his own creativity with the most contemporary artistic, scientific and philosophical insights as well as with the special ancient spatial wisdom He is the author of numerous essays and a co-author of the book Messages of the Space (Sporočila prostora), published by the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 2008.

Erik Juriševič, KONNTRA; Slovenia, North Macedonia and Croatia

Erik juriševič is young architect, currently completing his master thesis at Faculty of architecture at University of Ljubljana. Before co-founging own practice he worked at Muck Petzet in Munich and team ADVVT-6a-AgwA in Brussels.
In 2018 he co-founded KONNTRA, together with Mirjana Lozanovska and Silvija Shaleva. An award-winning young practice with studio based in Slovenia, North Macedonia and Croatia.

Among several awarded competitions are: 1st place for Secondary school and Sports hall in Vukovar, Croatia; 1st at International Competition for Architecture and Urban Design of the City Hall building and main public square in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 1st place for design and refurbishment of “Square of traditional crafts” in Varaždin, Croatia; 2nd place for Health Center in Zagreb,Croatia. 4th Place for a kindergarten in Stenjevac in Zagreb, Croatia; Selected Project, Competition architecture proposal for bob and sledge track on Trebevič Mountain in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the 2022 KONNTRA was a part of the 17th Venice Biennale of Architecture as invited exhibitor at Hungarian pavilion. Currently KONNTRA is working on several projects in Slovenia, North Macedonia and Croatia.

Attila Csóka; Paradigma Ariadné, Hungary

Paradigma Ariadné is a Budapest based design studio to create extraordinary architecture and related contents, through applying theory, imagination and narration based design processes. The studio was founded in 2016 by Attila Róbert Csóka, Szabolcs Molnár and Dávid Smiló.
Clients of Paradigma Ariadné include individuals, institutions, companies, and local governments as well, to provide them outstanding ideas and solutions wherever processes require architecture-related knowledge.
Paradigma Ariadné is co-curator of Hungarian Pavilion at Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021 together with Dániel Kovács. Previously Paradigma Ariadné took part in several exhibitions to display their works in Budapest, Venice, Warsaw, Vienna and Ohio State, USA.

Nikola Andonov; MADA Architecture studio, Serbia

MADA Architecture studio is an idea-driven collective on a pursuit of new (spatial) experiences, playing with roles and scales and embracing methods beyond experiments.
Probably the easiest way to comprehend MADA’s approach is through its very name – “mada” (cyrilic: „мада“) meaning “even though” in Serbian. This hint of open-endedness reflects the idea that “design gives you answers as it grows and becomes oneself.”
Since its inception, MADA has worked on an array of projects, ranging in scale from Venice Biennale(s), EXPO Pavilion in Milan, and a memorial park in Kuwait, to a mixed-use complex in Belgrade and a housing block in Užice, Serbia.
In honour of their experiments and ideas, MADA has been crowned with several national and international awards and recognitions, and their work has been published in various online and printed professional platforms and magazines.

Laurens Bekemans; BC architects & studies, BC materials, Belgium

BC is BC architects, studies and materials. BC stands for Brussels Cooperation and points to how BC grew – embedded within place and people. With 3 legal entities, BC starts from architecture, over research and expertise and experiment, towards material production and contracting. As a hybrid office, BC is maneuvering the boundaries of all these disciplines in a doers manner.

We aim to do our projects in a critical and radical way. Critical means we place our work in a wider local and global context, touching on topics of the social, the ecological, the economical, the cultural, the temporal. Radical means we envision long term effects of the building (process) and act responsibly on them now. The tension between being critical and being radical is one that feeds our practice.

Having 3 legal entities representing one hybrid practice allows BC to inscribe itself in more phases of a construction process, being able to instill change in more profound ways – prototyping and iterating new economic and social models of building.