Description
Buildings, in the words of Mark Wigley, “are actually pieces of mining equipment, actively devouring the planet”. Currently, the architectural discipline has very few tools for considering what happens to the landscapes affected by our extractive practices. Post-industrial landscape repair has been a topic among landscape architects and ecologists for decades, but by the time these professions arrive, the crime has already been committed. Therefore, many today are asking: how can architecture reduce its impact on extractive landscapes through the design decisions we make? To explore this question, we introduce two contrasting cases of extractive landscapes in natural stone. The first is in Larvik, Norway, where one of the world’s most technologically advanced quarries extracts large quantities of larvikite, most of which is exported for further processing. The second case is on the island of Mallorca, Spain, where a largely artisanal quarrying process, in place for centuries, still produces the characteristic marès stone, famous among Danish architects for Jørn Utzon’s use of it at Can Lis and Can Feliz. Drawing connections between the landscapes of Norway, Mallorca, and the architecture behind them, we look closer at the agency of architecture to promote more ‘repair-able’ landscapes of extractionPeriod | 8 May 2023 |
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Held at | The School of Architecture of La Salle, Spain |
Degree of Recognition | International |
Keywords
- post-extraction
- Materiality
- Stone
- Repair
Related content
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Publications
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The Nordic and Spain: An architectural journey
Publications: Book / Anthology / Thesis / Report › Book › Research
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Paret d'esquerdes (Cracked Wall)
Publications: Non-textual form › 2D/3D (psysical products) › Research
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Activities
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Ecologies of Stone Workshop #1 Larvik
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Field studies in Mallorca, Spain
Activity: Other activity types › Other
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Ecologies of Stone start-up seminar
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organisation and participation in conference
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Ecologies of Stone: Toward a post-extractive material practice
Activity: Talk or presentation › Lecture and oral contribution
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Field preparations in Mallorca, Spain
Activity: Other activity types › Other
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Ecologies of Stone project presentation
Activity: Talk or presentation › Lecture and oral contribution
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Ecologies of Stone and Post-Extractive Material Practice
Activity: Talk or presentation › Lecture and oral contribution
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UIA World Congress of Architects 2023 Copenhagen
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organisation and participation in conference
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Can Lis residency
Activity: Other activity types › Period visiting other institutions
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Projects
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Ecologies of Stone
Project: Research