Space is Politics

With contributions by

-          Prof.Dr. Tom Avermaete (Chair of the History and Theory of Urban Design, ETH)

-          Prof. Maria Conen (Conen Sigl Architekt:innen; Chair of Architecture and Housing, ETH)

-          Lars Kaiser (Urban Equipe)

-          and Hans Teerds (Amsterdam Academy of Architecture)

Architecture can be understood as the infrastructure of everyday human life: a structure in which that enables living, working, movement, and many other human activities. However, this structure is not neutral: how architecture shapes the world determines how we relate to the world, to each other, and to the non-human world. In the manifesto Space is Politics, Hans Teerds explores this political dimension of architecture based on insights from philosopher Hannah Arendt. He concludes that architecture cannot be left to architects nor to project developers alone but should be discussed and developed publicly. Hans Teerds will present his manifesto on March 4 in our bookstore. Prof. Dr. Tom Avermaete, Prof. Maria Conen, and Lars Kaiser will respond to his statement: how do they relate their work and their experiences this political dimension of architectural design?