(view full-size slide show) (share/embed this slideshow)

After NATO-led KFOR troops ended civil war in Kosovo (1999), an instant building boom changed the capital Prishtina dramatically. Within a few years its population doubled, partly as a consequence of an influx of returning refugees. Local investors profited, creating quick returns on ‘hit and run’ projects. On the fringes of the city ‘maverick urbanism’ had a different face: family clans invested family capital in large houses, built on farmland. The result was a random spread and development of the city, causing serious functional and structural problems for the future.

Prishtina is Everywhere describes, maps and analyzes the situation in Prishtina after 1999, documents problem-solving strategies, and discusses the significance of this kind of urban development for the way urban life evolves in crisis zones. The title hints at two phenomena: firstly, urban development of this type is typical for many post-conflict situations, and secondly, most of the construction in Prishtina has been financed by remittances from family members working abroad (one-fifth of Kosovo’s entire population lives abroad, specifically in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria).

This is the first of a series of investigations of urban development in post-conflict areas, initiated by Archis Interventions.

With contributions of Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss, Caroline Arnulf, Thilo Fuchs, Wilfried Hackenbroich, Irmgard Zerr, Florina Jerliu, Visar Geci, Ilir Gjinolli, Lilet Breddels, Arjen Oosterman.

224 p., 17×24 cm, 96 pages in color. Design Heimann und Schwantes, printed in Germany.
The English edition is published by Archis Publishers, Amsterdam: 978-90-77966-50-1
The German edition appears at Parthas Verlag, Berlin, 978-3-86601-904-1

Archis collaborates with NAI at the Biennale di Venezia in generating concepts and staging a debate around the question of how the next generation of architects should engage architecture. In other words drafting a curriculum of the architecture school of the future!

ARCHIPHOENIX – Faculties for Architecture turns the Dutch Pavilion, at this year Architecture Biennial in Venice, into a week long stage for international research and exploration and a debate centre focussing on the capacities and capabilities of architecture – beyond building. While on the one hand, global pressures – massive population growth, economic instabilities, limits of the resources available, just to name a few – urge architects to radically reconsider their tools, products and models of working, a growing number of unconventional practices already showcase possible directions. How could they be made to work – on a scale that answers the challenges ahead?

In times of unrestrained building, the Dutch pavilion takes the recent burning-down of the Faculty of Architecture in Delft as starting point for an exploration of what values to defend, what territories to explore and what practices to develop as an architect. In short: the faculties for architecture, in the sense of its multiple capacities, powers, capabilities. A question mark rather than an exclamation mark.

The project focuses on five questions each architect encounters: Why we make – beyond the profitable simplicity into the social sustainability, What we make – beyond the artifact, How we work – beyond the singular into the collaborative, For whom we make – beyond power to empowerment, and finally What it takes to make (and un-make) – beyond the sustainable: challenging the flow of resources, materials and people. These five seemingly simple questions, if put to face the future challenges ahead might turn to become serious issues for discussion!

From 9-14 September, during the Biennial opening days, the project takes the opportunity to engage the vast network of architects and other professionals present in a direct exchange either as speakers, interviewers, editors. The pavilion itself will change on a daily basis to accommodate round tables, speed dates, lectures, dinner, workshop, and an on-site instantly edited video and book production unit. While the pavilion will act as a temporary ‘school’, the book produced will become an imaginary curriculum for architecture beyond division on education and practice. The results of this dense process will be on show during the rest of the Biennial, until 23 November 2008.

___

ARCHIPHOENIX – Faculties for Architecture, takes place from 9 September to 23 November 2008, at the Dutch Pavilion, Giardini, as a part of the 11th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice.

The project is commissioned by Ole Bouman, director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi), Rotterdam.

Curated by Saskia van Stein and STEALTH.unlimited (Ana Dzokic/Marc Neelen).

The program and the on-site content production is made in collaboration with the editorial group comprising Lilet Breddel, Christian Ernsten, Jeanne van Heeswijk, Dennis Kaspori, Peter Lang, Billy Nolan, Arjen Oosterman, Miguel Robles-Duran and Piet Vollaard.

Click here for full program in the Dutch Pavilion [PDF]

The Dutch submission to the Architecture Biennial has been organized by the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI) at the invitation of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
(OC&W).

With Ole Bouman, NAI; Arjen Oosterman, Archis; Kristian Koreman, ZUS and Subash Taneja, Taneja Hartsuyker Architects

> to watch, go to tomaat.org and click on new videos

Further requirements:
- Excellent Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign skills
- Strong graphic and design talent
- Fluent in written and spoken English

and/or
- Proven writing and editorial experience
- Excellent research skills
These positions are located in Amsterdam. Students are invited to apply. (Prior office experience is preferred.)

Please send you CV and/or Portfolio to Timothy Moore

tm [at] archis [dot] org

Thursday 4 april 20:00 – NAi, Rotterdam

For two months the NAI will organise happenings in and around an installation that the architect Wiel Arets has specially designed for the NAI: concerts, theatre performances, interactive video projections, debates, dinners and performances. In this architectural construction, compositions of light, sound and video projection enable you to experience the influence that buildings, squares and streets have on your emotions and on how you perceive. The happenings make you aware of the role that you yourself play in experiencing and imagining the city, as well as of the difference that you as a citizen can make.

Happening
During the hours that the museum is open, the compositions in and around the installation will be the focus of attention in Gallery I, but in the evenings the light and sound compositions will be turned off and the installation will become the place for a disco, classical concert, or a debate in which the public can influence the discussion via mobile phone and laptop. the Netherlands Architecture Institute is collaborating with clubs, concert venues and cinemas such as ConClub, de Doelen, Worm and Lantaren/Venster to organise happenings for young and old every week from Thursday to Sunday.

The 4th of April Archis will together with ZUS (Zones Urbaines Sensible) organize the a Happening at the NAi

Full program: happening.nai.nl

Volume presented at the ‘Positions in Exchange’ conference, hosted by Haus der Architektur Graz, November 15-17. It was a check on the public position of architectural institutes and architects in various cities. Institutions in Prague, Ljublijana, Basel, Frankfurt and New York, combined with architects of their choice (we presented together with Stalker) showed that the focus is on the social and political dimensions again. In general it became clear that the political and cultural context of each determined the responses to current development in the field and the options for public intervention. Our position was to advocate a proactive and activating approach, to redirect the attention to major issues in our societies, and to focus on doing instead of discussing.
Let’s check their upcoming programs to see the results.

Yesterday we launched the new Archis website at 17:00 GMT and had synchronized meeting with people from all over the globe. Together we reviewed the website and discussed Kabul and its spatial problems, since the Archis crew just arrived back from the RSVP event held there last week. Besides Kabul we addressed the rapid transformations of ‘Balkanisation’ and the set-up of the Balkan Network.

Participating in the chat where: New York, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Berlin, Prishtina, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Vilnius, Istanbul, Beirut and Mashhad (Iran)

Launch of the new
Archis website

Join the Launch and participate in the Archis Global Chatroom Meeting. Around the globe at 17:00 UTC/GMT

Thanks to everybody, enjoy the new site!

Bring your laptop!
Share the experience, participate in the conversation, and hook up to the Archis network: join the launch event in:
Amsterdam, de Balie, de Salon zaal, Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10 (Leidseplein), 17:00 till 19:00 local time
New York, Studio-X, 180 Varick Street, Suite 1610, 13:00 local time
Rotterdam, Resource Studio, Schermlaan 39A, 18:00 local time
Berlin, Cafe Pfeiffers, Oranienstr. 17 (Heinrichplatz), Berlin-Kreuzberg, 18:00 local time
Prishtina, place TBD, 18:00 local time
Sarajevo, cafe Meeting Point (Trasa), from 17:00 till 20:00 local time
Vilnius, Studio at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, 19:00 local time
Beirut, place TBD, 19:00 local time
Istanbul NOA, Cihangir, Akarsu Yokuşu Cd. No: 44-46, Kat:8 (top floor of the building where Leyla used to be) from 18:00 local time till late.
Kabul, place TBD, 20:30 local time
Mashhad, place TBD, 20:30 local time