This third research track focuses on the mapping of the built environment itself as a key to document and study the coming into being of European architecture outside of Europe and the transnational issues at stake.
In comparison with the second research track, which starts from printed media, the focus here is on assembling data that does not privilege the highly mediated individual design or building, but rather seeks to highlight more large scale significant entities or ensembles. Architectural histories are generally built either on periodical literature or on field surveys; this research track posits that both sources represent complementary data that need to be studied in conjunction rather than in isolation, as evidence to be cross-checked and further confronted with local archive material.
Experimental attempts at carrying such crossings and analyzing their empirical and theoretical results will be implemented for selected and significant cases. The cases to be further studied, based on current research carried out by willing participants to the Action (e.g. in Egypt, Tunisia, Ethiopia or the Democratic Republic of Congo), will be chosen according to a typology of commissioning circumstances (by public authorities, corporate agencies, private developers, etc.) and political contexts (direct and indirect colonial rule). Besides empirical findings, methodological benefits are expected from the research that will be carried out in parallel with the Action, through the means available at national level, by each researcher or team involved in the Action. In particular questions of associating researchers from non-Western countries in the research and of identifying and using unpublished material kept outside of Europe (such as building permits, land registration archives, etc.) will be discussed within this research track.
Coordinator : Claudine Piaton (FR)
Co-coordinator : Ralph Bodenstein (DE)
Members :
- Assia Bouadjadja Samai (AL)
- Vittoria Capresi (AT)
- Vassilis Colonas (GR)
- Vilma Fasoli (IT)
- Robert Home (UK)