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deca ARCHITECTURE from Greece for the project Aloni house in Antiparos

Theme

New Challenges

Rethinking architecture and space, rethinking values, ethics and aesthetic
At a time of global climatic, environmental and financial crisis, we have arrived at the realisation that its creation was spurred primarily by the global crisis of values – moral, ethical, economic and social. The situation that has arisen is an opportunity to re-evaluate the existing system and actively face up to the challenges of sustainable development, especially in architecture, which actively shapes our living environment and how we live, and thereby also the development and future of civilisation. So what are the real challenges of sustainable development? How is modern architecture responding to the crisis? What is the nature of the moral responsibility and ethical values of an architect? How can architecture redirect aggressive economy into the development of sustainable civilisational values and assets? Why is high-quality architecture an objective, not just subjective interest? The conference will bring face to face nine different architectural viewpoints from different continents.

Lecturers and jury for the 2009 Piranesi Award

Maruša Zorec

Arrea, Ljubljana, Slovenia

www.wonderland.cx

Milton Braga

MMBB, São Paulo, Brazil

www.mmbb.com.br

Robert McCarter

Washington University, St. Louis, USA

samfoxschool.wustl.edu/portfolios/faculty/robert_mccarter

Saša Randić

Randić&Turato, Rijeka, Croatia

www.randic-turato.hr

Wang Shu

Amateur Architecture Studio, Hangzhou, China

www.world-architects.com

John Wardle

John Wardle Architects, Melburne, Australia

www.johnwardle.com

Opinions 2009/Reflections on the Piran conference 2009

I think the Piran Days of Architecture 2009 was a very successful meeting: the lectures presented fresh approaches to the problems of contemporary architecture and urbanism, particularly pointing out the growing importance of the humanistic approach for the projects that will have to be developed in coming times, and, perhaps due to the scale of Piran, those present. Lecturers and audience as well as architects and students involved in the Piranesi awards, really made the best of the informal opportunities to exchange ideas and experiences.
Milton Braga, architect from Sao Paulo and lecturer at PDA 2009

The Piran conference was a very special experience for me. While Hong Kong is an amazing city that offers many unique clues to urbanism, it can also be a place of no sympathy for the art and ideas of architecture due to the preponderance of commercial development.
In contrast, the works presented by the key speakers and the competition entries at Piran conference were the reverse, where architecture and ideas on architecture were the main topic of discourse. The presentations by the key speakers were inspirational and it was a pleasure to see architects identifying urban challenges in their own cities, developing strategies, and making bold proposals to turn these challenges into urban potentials.
There was also a good mix of speakers of different origins, and the wide range of works presented, both proposed and built, were consistently interesting in their architectural discourse and concepts.
The jury noted a lack of interior presentation in the architecture competition entries, and similar comments were made about how these architecture projects did or did not engage the city. Nevertheless, all of the submissions were of high quality.
As for the student’s entries, their presentations were rather complex in comparison to the professional entries. Perhaps as we get more experience in our practices, it is inevitable that we become simpler, while hopefully not becoming simplistic.
My participation in Piran was a re-charge for me, and the rich exchange of ideas there has allowed me to bring back more concrete concepts for the pursuit of meaningful architecture in the midst of this neon-capitalist city.
Thank you and God bless.
Aaron Tan, RAD, architect from Hong Kong and lecturer at PDA 2009 (27 November 2009)
 

I found this year’s Piran Days conference to be an exceptionally constructive meeting of minds from a wide variety of international cultures, including the discovery of many shared values and intentions regarding the future of architecture among speakers and participants, the whole organized flawlessly and elegantly, and all taking place in the most beautiful setting. The world is far better for such an event having taken place, and I am very happy to have been invited to take part in the Piran Days 2009. I would welcome any comments and questions regarding my lecture (rmccarter@wuslt.edu).
Robert McCarter
Ruth and Norman Moore Professor of Architecture
Washington University in St. Louis
Lecturer at PDA 2009

This Year Piran Days of Architecture were interesting, because the lecturers presented d their work that sensitive architecture exists everywhere not regarding different spatial, time and development contexts. Its origins are everywhere the same – the sense for the tradition. context, space, light, construction, material, people who inhabit it… Numerous participation and exceptional atmosphere of the architects from different countries are the proof, that the conference and the award could be the opportunity for better connection of the countries which once shaped unique cultural space of north Mediterranean. Maruša Zorec, architect and lecturer at PDA 2009

The 27th Piran Days of Architecture Conference brought to the beautiful city of Piran architects from all parts of the globe and an audience of architects and students that enthusiastically engaged with the theme of conference.
We were reminded that although many of the major issues that we currently face as practicing architects are universal our approach to practice and processes of engagement are shaped by our regional circumstances. The variances of: compositional arrangement, materiality, scale and intensity of the work of each of the assembled architects was discussed as intently as some of the surprising parallels in research and exploration that were evident.
The scale of the conference (about 250 people) matched that of the city as the audience spilled out of the Tartini Theatre located on the historic harbours’ edge and filled many of the small bars and cafes that line the waterfront and the plaza.
It is a conference defined very much by the city that hosts it and its own traditions that both curate regional culture and enquire into the circumstances of the world beyond.
John Wardle, John Wardle Architects, lecturer at PDA 2009

Statements of participants

Opinions 2008

Architectual diversity of Piran´s conference 2008 has manifested through varied approaches to architecture as also through different positions within architecture. That leaded invited architects-lecturers to the lively discussion while choosing the prize Piranesi 2008.

However, this small and amazing Architecture Festival has got a special power and feature: because of its smallness and marginallity it provides open pozitions and experimental approach. Fresh and inspiring days – much more than just architectual meeting in a wonderful month!

Marion Wicher, architect from Austria and lecturer at Piran days of Architecture 2008

In last Piran days of Architecture I could, due to a time shortage, participate only on Saturday afternoon and in evening. But I consider commendatory what I have seen – choice of lecturers as well as the exhibitions and the exhibition of students from Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana and Maribor.

The days of Architecture certainly mean one of the most important contributions in the field of promotion of Slovene architecture in the context of a broader European space. That is why it is good for the conference to develope even more successfully also in the future. Maybe it would be wise to include into the organizing team also some representatives of the wider professional public and responsible institution. That is how the whole promotion of Slovene architecture would be better organized and more effective at all levels.

Eventually, matters the results and changes that we need on the field of position of Slovene profession/architects.

Viktor Pust, architect from Ljubljana, former president of Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia,

Piran days of Architecture, for me a new experience, are good starting point for effective cooperation of architects and other engineers, economists and politicians. The film about the building of Cankarjev dom, which was shown on Piran days of Architecture 2008, is still ongoing issue, especially because of the financial, fast growing economic and in next years expected energy crisis.

Collaboration of different professions is a great challenge for future.

Črtomir Remec, engineer from Ljubljana, President of IZS, Ljubljana,Slovenia

Piran days of Architecture 2008 were revitalization and the continuation of what had been started. At the new organization we could feel a lot of good will, pozitive energy and a big wish to, in the spirit of a new time, continue that international conference of architects with its long tradition.

To the new organizers I wish a lot of further successfull meetings.

Andreja Jug, architect from Ljubljana, participant of all previous meetings

Retain the oldest Architectural European Conference was a challenge, that grown over into a new passion. Great exhibitions and architectural workshops will even more associated Piran with »non-architects« in the future. However, everything that is, is because of them. Silvo Kačar, director Arcadia, Ljubljana

 Useful and professional; instructive and pleasent. The formula is right and this year´s event execution is a good start for a long and successfull journey.

Franci Kek, member of Slovenian Parliament

I´m glad that Piran days of Architecture preserve tradition as it with its program represent important contribution to developments in Slovene and European architectural profession. According to experiences in 2008, I think that they have, with the new leadership, bright future. Mattea K. Panter, architect from Ljubljana

 Piran days of Architecture are for already 26 years an important meeting of architectural artists and amateurs from Central Europe. In the last decade there were many imitators, but at the conference, where every year are presented works of architects that are entering the international scene together with the works of already established designers, days in Piran are taking place mainly about the prestigious prize, that is exploring Central European Area. Scepter – organization of the event, has after 25 years, with the initiative of Vojteh Ravnikar, great interpret of Slovene architecture, architect and intellectual, moved into the hands of a new team, that managed to astonish the Auditorium. Invited lecturers had, on the basis of fortunate theme about architectural diversity, enriched cultural experiences of participants. Piran days of Architecture has entered on a new path, surely shiny and ambitious and swung itself into the future, which will be open armed for a new and global, in a spirit of great architecture school, like it is Slovene.

Maurizio Bradaschia, architect from Triest