Cityscapers of the world, unite!

Cityscapers: By the Throat is one of 3 Cityscapers studios in the UK over 3 years which will support the development of the next generation of designers, architects and visual artists through collaborative works. Supported by the British Council, it is hoped that after the 3 years, a network of 180 of the most talented city-builders in Asia Pacific and Europe will have developed lasting international relationships which the participants will draw on as they create the cities of the future.

Led by Professor Richard Goodwin of UNSW, the studio, also known as The Porosity Studio, is different especially in the way multi-disciplinary collaborations go. For this workshop, we see artists, engineers, designers, architects all placed together in a non-hierarchical setup; equal power given to all disciplines . It is this 60-man studio who will explore critical issues in urban design and city making.

Hosted by the University of Edinburgh from 31st March to 12th April 2008, this edition of the Porosity Studio took the Shifts project: Projections into the future of the Central Belt ,which was initiated by The Lighthouse in 2007, as a catalyst for exploring a nexus between Glasgow and Edinburgh. This was to be the vehicle from which participants will be able to test ideas, collaborate on new ones, and in all, give a glimpse into the minds of the next generation of city shapers and hopefully, discover realms of ideas that no one knew existed.

 

 

The 2 week workshop was structured with lectures by various researchers and architectural practitioners including one by the Edinburgh-based architect,Malcolm Fraser. These series of lectures served to provide a quick and varied insight into the various issues which are inherent in Scotland’s Central Belt. Participants were given a peek into studies which focused on human interaction in a vehicle while driving along the M8, which is the highway that connects Glasgow and Edinburgh. A couple of other lectures also seeked to enlighten participants on the richness of the urban morphology of the 2 cities and also the debate on the evolution of the architecture of Scotland over time as it searches for its own architectural identity in these modern/post-modern/post-post modern times. In fact, these range of studies went as far as featuring similar case studies in other countries such as in Korea and Jakarta and also a fengshui reading of Edinburgh.

Interspersed with these lectures and site visits-which included a bus-ride exploration of the M8 and also a visit to the Lighthouse in Glasgow, were intense studio sessions. The studios became the hotbed where participants worked, discussed tirelessly, researched and prepared their concept models. Through a process of constant feedback and discussion with other participants and the studio directors, the studio was in a constant state of flux where ideas never stopped developing.

 

As a testament to the high levels of creativity in the studio, one must take a look at the concept models that were presented on the first presentation session which was held on Day 3 of the workshop. On top of the usual architectural ‘concept model’ and sketches fondly favoured by architects, there were illustrations, video clips, a performance, a mini-lecture, a reading and someone serving soup! Such range of ideas and its’ manifestation makes this workshop an experience rich with creative ideas.

Coming from a range of disciplines, multiple ways of looking at the city emerged. Some focused on the physical relationship of the cities, proposing an examination of the infrastructure and also perhaps the technologies that might facilitate these connection. Others proposed to look at the city in terms of its intangible qualities such as quality of space, experiences along the connection, developing socio-cultural connections between the two, emotional landscape of the central belt and a whole range of other conceptual works that aimed to question this perceived need for a connection between the two. Such a vast range of ideas is a clear message to all city builders and architects: The city is essentially a social construct where everyone would have their own perception and interpretation of its physical form, injecting meaning into an arrangement of building materials.

As the studio developed, some collaborations emerged and there were also others who chose to work alone but ultimately, the body of work that was produced at the end was brilliant to say the least. The final exhibition that ensued at the end of the 2 week of work and play by the 60 young designers showed a vast range of ideas. Held at the gallery in the University of Edinburgh, the opening of the exhibition was graced by various architects, speakers who presented during the 2 weeks and also Nick Barley, Director of The Lighthouse.

An important aspect which makes this studio an exciting laboratory of ideas is the quality and attitudes of the studio directors and support staff. These talented people were convinced about the power of collaboration and also the richness of the ideas from the participants and seeked to nurture them. Constantly encouraging and provoking thoughts with their comments, these leaders resisted the urge to impose their thoughts and ideas but rather attempted to dive into the minds of the participants and help to flesh out these hidden ideas. This created a culture within the studio where ideas development was allowed to grow at a quick pace and with great intensity. Special mention also has to be made to the unwavering support and dedication of the support staff which ensured that participants could go about focusing on the tasks at hand without much fuss. Discounting the Heathrow Terminal 5 luggage disaster experienced by the Australian students, the workshop went about with little noticeable logistic fuss- an achievement for an international workshop of more than 60 participants from various countries.

In all, this workshop, part of a series of 3 is a resounding success. It set out to create a network and discover ideas, and it did so very well. There will always be a debate about the seriousness and validity of each proposition but nonetheless, it would be foolish to dismiss the works and ideas produced in the workshop as simply musings of 60 young, naive designers. Rather, it should be appreciated as ideas and viewpoints from an emerging group of cityscapers who are articulating what they truly feel about the city and what they aspire for it to be. This is a glimpse into the future and these are the seeds of the future cities. Cityscapers of the world, unite!

For more photos and write-ups, visit Adib’s blog during his participation of the workshop

Adib is the co-founder of 5ft Creatives and a designer at Farmwork. He likes to walk on the FiveFootWay.