Small-town Architecture: Three Critiques on Architecture as an Instrument for Regional Development in Peripheral Small-towns

Publikation: Bog / Antologi / Afhandling / RapportPh.d.-afhandling

Abstract

The outskirts emerged as a popular concept in Denmark in 2010 to describe regions that socially, economically and culturally were disconnected the societal development. The emergence of the concept is to be seen in light of a long-standing liberation of settlement from food production and where towns and cities offer better conditions for changing societal production. Urban growth has had considerable attention from politicians, planners and architects and theories and professional discourses have been developed to hande the consequences. Parallely, the rural regions have beed marginalized in public debates and architectural discussions. However, as consequence of the outskirt-concept, a renewed attention have been directed towards the social, economic and cultural inequality that challenge societal cohesion. Here, architecture is activated as an instrument for regional development which outlines the contours for a new architectural task. This new task call for answers to a range of questions. How are we able to contribute to regional development? What are the risks involved with engaging in this task as a profession and where should we have our attention? What are the criteria for succes?

To qualify the answers to these questions, with this dissertation I take a look at three cases where architecture is initiated with an intention of regional development in peripheral small-towns. First, the Danish village Høve where students from KADK in 2014 developed projects with the specific intention. Next, the fishing society Vardø in Northern Norway where Peter Zumthor in 2011 constructed the pavilions for a memorial Steilneset. Last, the village Vrin in the Swiss Alps, where local architect Gion Caminada invested a long-term engagement in the development of the place. The three cases are elucidated through architectural critiques that involves aethetical as well as political aspects.

Together the critiques show these peripheral small-towns as incribed in a range of conflicts that call for increased attention to the role of the architect in the process: The conception of place related to the heritage product accentuates conflicts between regional and national narratives. The architect’s self-image as
author is challenged by inclusion of local conceptions of place and identity which aks for reconsiderations of criteria for architectural success. Potentials in conceptializing a strong local identity conlicts with a societal diversity. Behind these conflicts are strong images related to the country and the city with severe agency on the process. Attention towards these images and a self-critical position on one’s role as an actor is pivotal for the outcome of the architectural engagement.

Apart from the considerations and discussions related to the peripheral small-towns, I engage with quesions and conditions for the architectural critique as a method for research and as a means of architectural knowledge production.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
ForlagDet Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Skoler for Arkitektur, Design og Konservering
Antal sider291
ISBN (Trykt)9788778309853
StatusUdgivet - 2018

Kunstnerisk udviklingsvirksomhed (KUV)

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