By definition demolition implies economic, political, or design failure. Now that much of the postwar built substance is reaching its prescribed critical best-before-date, along with growth in Europe is improbable, demolition will inevitably become an increasing field of intellectual, cultural, and economic speculation. While there are abundant theories of construction, there seems to be a lack of theoretical understanding of demolition. What are the types of demolition? How should it be done? Who may kill your building? What is the value of a void left after demolition? Is there creativity in demolition? Is there an aesthetic of demolition? The master class will investigate four macro areas of demolition: politics, aesthetics, techniques, and radar.
Berlage’s Spring 2015 theory master class is led by OMA partner Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli and associates Stephan Petermann and Janna Bystrykh. The theory master class took place from Thursday, 19 March to Friday, 27 March 2015 in AMO’s headquarters in Rotterdam.
The theory master class is a unique feature of the Berlage’s program. Students and professionals, together with enrolled post-master’s-level students, work with world-renowned architects, designers, and thinkers to analyze a chosen subject relevant to contemporary issues in the built environment. Two master classes are organized per year: one for design and one for theory. Participants are encouraged to experiment with alternative forms of representation and dissemination.