Living in the modern city
In November 2009, EUNIC tackled the major question, “Joburg, a City for Who?” at Arts on Main. As a non-academic forum focusing on free expression, improvisation and concrete production, the EUNIC architecture studio looks for strategies to renovate and improve inner city buildings and public spaces, with an approach based on economy of means, simple solutions and good sense.
The forum involved an experimental workshop with students and young professionals, followed by a public conference with French architect Jean-Philippe Vassal. Contributors included: Lauren Royston (CALS-Centre for Applied Legal Studies, RSA), Guy Tillim (photographer, RSA), Carin Smuts (architect, RSA), Iain Low (architect, RSA), Christophe Hutin (architect, France), Alex Ely (architect, UK), and Sebastian Fischbeck (architect, Austria).
There was also a night bus tour through the Joburg CBD, followed by a conference and dinner. This was followed by a EUNIC lunch with a media presentation of the workshop results.
Vassal says: “The city became a real pool of situations made of happiness, misfortunes, opportunities, disused buildings, waste lands, capacities, voids and poetry… Its complexity represents an incredible wealth. In this day and age, it is necessary to make a lot with almost nothing. These situations are the new materials for today’s architecture, to transform the city and its metamorphoses.
“There is no longer a blank page: it is always necessary to produce with what exists already. Producing in this way is not negative, on the contrary. The challenge is to be attentive, to listen, to understand, to invent, to tip the scales and, as if by magic, to transform worse into better.”
For further information visit www.ifas.org.za or phone 011 836 0561.
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