DC+CMI

Architecture, from design through construction and dwelling till habitation, is centered on the human being and the service of his/her basic needs: It is always related to cultural context that produces it. Because of its anthropocentric definition and within the contemporary capitalist economic system, architecture is also recognized as a cultural/creative industry. That is, its works are recognized as cultural, collective social capital.

The course will focus on two readings of the built environment: a) the cultural background of architecture b) the contribution of architecture to the creation of contemporary cultural phenomena within urban space. There are three thematic axes:

• Representation (museums, stadiums).
• Technology (modern housing, social housing, apartment building/skyscraper).
• Urban space (gentrification, tourism).
  
  

The course will try to answer questions such as:

• What exactly do sports architecture projects represent?
• How does museum architecture function as a carrier of meaning?
• How are museums connected to new forms of urbanization?
• How does technology influence architectural creation?
• What is “traditional” architecture about?
• What role does contemporary architecture play in urbanization, gentrification, and spatial inequalities?

The architectural examples to be analyzed in class belong to the history of Greek and European architecture (late 19th, 20 and 21th century).

Syllabus