Art visual np2

No matter if we consider past or contemporary self-constructions, those architecture without architects embody a kind of expression of an individual or associative power in the trespassing or not of a local legislation. Their essential motivation often has a vital statute which answer thus more to needs than desires. These needs is then materialized into a shape and a space. No forward planning for self-constructed districts brings to the city a disinclination which can not be harmful for democracy. In fact, those buildings' construction and life are happening thanks to a local negotiation between people directly concerned by them. Architecture is thus the product of this neighbourhood negotiation. Result is an organic network of buildings as a urban fabric uncontrollable by any human authority.

No matter if we consider past or contemporary self-constructions, those architecture without architects embody a kind of expression of an individual or associative power in the trespassing or not of a local legislation. Their essential motivation often has a vital statute which answer thus more to needs than desires. These needs is then materialized into a shape and a space. No forward planning for self-constructed districts brings to the city a disinclination which can not be harmful for democracy. In fact, those buildings' construction and life are happening thanks to a local negotiation between people directly concerned by them. Architecture is thus the product of this neighbourhood negotiation. Result is an organic network of buildings as a urban fabric uncontrollable by any human authority.

This installation was built by Gianni Pettena and his students from University of Utah in 1972. It dramatizes the catching of tumbleweeds rolling around in a progressive territorialization of what Pettena calls an unusual skyscraper . Here is a page about the FRAC's book about Pettena's work published by HYX

This installation was built by Gianni Pettena and his students from University of Utah in 1972. It dramatizes the catching of tumbleweeds rolling around in a progressive territorialization of what Pettena calls an unusual skyscraper . Here is a page about the FRAC's book about Pettena's work published by HYX

This post surely requires an explanation. Presenting my own work on boiteaoutils can probably interpreted as an hijacking of an information platform and its readers taken in hostage of an autopromotion. However I did feel that criticizing and promoting others' project has a sense for me, only if it was to create a more or less coherent vision of architecture which should be serving my own creation. Therefore, I would like to take the risk of presenting my work as related to this vision. Spiculation is my diploma project I developped with Martin Le Bourgeois in ESA and I am not presenting it here as an achievement but as a work still in progress. We are currently working on it to make it happen for real, working with polypropylene company and developping it for competitions etc. Valérie Chatelet, our former tutor and author of Interactive Cities , now joined the team. Of course your advices and criticism are more than welcome. Spiculation incarnates an alternative to public space’s

This post surely requires an explanation. Presenting my own work on boiteaoutils can probably interpreted as an hijacking of an information platform and its readers taken in hostage of an autopromotion. However I did feel that criticizing and promoting others' project has a sense for me, only if it was to create a more or less coherent vision of architecture which should be serving my own creation. Therefore, I would like to take the risk of presenting my work as related to this vision. Spiculation is my diploma project I developped with Martin Le Bourgeois in ESA and I am not presenting it here as an achievement but as a work still in progress. We are currently working on it to make it happen for real, working with polypropylene company and developping it for competitions etc. Valérie Chatelet, our former tutor and author of Interactive Cities , now joined the team. Of course your advices and criticism are more than welcome. Spiculation incarnates an alternative to public space’s

This is the new New York PS1 pavilion designed by Hilary Sample and Michael Meredith from MOS . The difference between PS1 pavilion and what we could call its equivalent in Europe, the London Serpentine Pavilion is the budget allowed for it. American one is much smaller and this economy becomes the principal challenge of this competition. How to deal with complex geometries and small money ? Each winner (see the official page ) got his part of the answer and this year also brings its proposition.

This is the new New York PS1 pavilion designed by Hilary Sample and Michael Meredith from MOS . The difference between PS1 pavilion and what we could call its equivalent in Europe, the London Serpentine Pavilion is the budget allowed for it. American one is much smaller and this economy becomes the principal challenge of this competition. How to deal with complex geometries and small money ? Each winner (see the official page ) got his part of the answer and this year also brings its proposition.

Kowloon Walled City can obviously not be literally considered as self-constructed. However, this Hong Kong district acquired a kind of autonomy for years and could not stop densifying itself until it was demolished by Authorities in 1993 (See Ryuji Miyamoto's photographs of the empty Walled City, ready to be tear down). The Walled City tackles an interesting problem about the connection such autonomous district could have with legality. In fact, there has been a strong phantasm of insecurity about it, probably encouraged by the authority when some neutral reporters like Greg Girard and Ian Lambot (read their " City of Darkness " from where almost all photographs we still have come from) affirmed that the district was the shelter of drug addict but not criminals. Before it was demolished, the Walled City was the home of 50 000 inhabitants reaching an incredible density of 1 920 000 inhabitants per square kilometre. As far as self-construction is concerned, let's quote

Kowloon Walled City can obviously not be literally considered as self-constructed. However, this Hong Kong district acquired a kind of autonomy for years and could not stop densifying itself until it was demolished by Authorities in 1993 (See Ryuji Miyamoto's photographs of the empty Walled City, ready to be tear down). The Walled City tackles an interesting problem about the connection such autonomous district could have with legality. In fact, there has been a strong phantasm of insecurity about it, probably encouraged by the authority when some neutral reporters like Greg Girard and Ian Lambot (read their " City of Darkness " from where almost all photographs we still have come from) affirmed that the district was the shelter of drug addict but not criminals. Before it was demolished, the Walled City was the home of 50 000 inhabitants reaching an incredible density of 1 920 000 inhabitants per square kilometre. As far as self-construction is concerned, let's quote

sorry for those who do not read French, but the sentence I'm about to write would be terribly destroyed if it was translated by me... " La haute conception des choses du Monde n'est jamais béate, orgueilleuse, fermée. Elle est d'abord faite de tremblements, et c'est de tremblement en tremblement qu'elle s'élève sur les degrés d'un éclairant retour de conscience. " This little book, Quand les murs tombent. L'identité nationale hors-la-loi ? (When the walls fall apart. National identity being outlaw ?) was published when Nicolas Sarkozy decided to establish a ministry of National identity within the same ministry (Ministry of immigration) which is gladly annoucing 30 000 expellations of more or less clandestine immigrants these days. This manifest protest again the concept of a national identity itself and questions nowadays' societal context. I will probably write a new post when I read Glissant and Chamoiseau's new book: L'intraita

sorry for those who do not read French, but the sentence I'm about to write would be terribly destroyed if it was translated by me... " La haute conception des choses du Monde n'est jamais béate, orgueilleuse, fermée. Elle est d'abord faite de tremblements, et c'est de tremblement en tremblement qu'elle s'élève sur les degrés d'un éclairant retour de conscience. " This little book, Quand les murs tombent. L'identité nationale hors-la-loi ? (When the walls fall apart. National identity being outlaw ?) was published when Nicolas Sarkozy decided to establish a ministry of National identity within the same ministry (Ministry of immigration) which is gladly annoucing 30 000 expellations of more or less clandestine immigrants these days. This manifest protest again the concept of a national identity itself and questions nowadays' societal context. I will probably write a new post when I read Glissant and Chamoiseau's new book: L'intraita

YO! here is a pretty cool construction system that have been develloped by Frei OTTO and then applied in several building like the Japanese Pavilion by Shigeru Ban with Frei Otto at Expo Hanover 2000, the Polydome of the EPFL (école polytechnique de Lausanne) or the Dowland gridshell by Edward Cullinan Architects + Structural Engineer Buro Happold. Few words to explain how to build one in your backyard: 1- Do a planar wooden grid that can rotate on crossings... 2- Pull slowly the point(s) that you want to see up until you get the shape you wanted... 3- Block the points that you want to keep on the ground with weights or punctions... 4- Cover the grid with thin plank that you nailled into the grid, do this two or three layers... 5-You got your own gridshell building! following some pictures: Japanese Pavilion, Expo 2000 Hanover , Germany (Shigeru Ban with Frei Otto) .(D) Polydome de l'EPFL (CH) Downland Gridshell (UK)