Workshop with Bart Lootsma: Mapping the Modern City
History of Urbanism Workshop + Archival Excursion
Bart Lootsma and Sophie Hochhäusl
What were the objectives of CIAM IV and how did the Athens Charter come into being? How did designers in the beginning of the 1930s understand the modern city and how did they start to chart it? What where their aspirations for the modern city and in which forms did it become reality? What means did architects use to communicate their ideas to political and corporate entities and what role did the public play in such a discourse?
In a 1½-day history research workshop we are going to discuss these questions, and produce our own version of charting and exhibiting the modern city. In addition, you will have time to study and discuss aspects of the modern city with AAP’s guest speaker, Bart Lootsma.
The workshop will kick off on Thursday, February 23, when we will visit Columbia’s Avery Classics archive and see original hand drawings by Le Corbusier as well as publications like L’Esprit Nouveau, the German Werkbund’s Die Form and sets of photographs through which we will reconstruct the architects’ discourse on the modern city.
On Saturday, February 25th, based on our notes from the archive, we will investigate the modern city further, putting together our own exhibition on the modern city. The day will start in a conversation on selected readings and will be followed by a research phase making use of online archives (movies, postcards and magazines). Students will have a chance to collaboratively and individually work on an aspect that fascinates them about the modern city.
