Call for participation - Converging Territories
Pilot-Project for architects’ mobility in Europe
The project:
In the framework of a residence, the applicant (whether an individual or a team) is invited to develop a proposal linked to a specific territorial or spatial situation, located in one of the three cities involved: Dublin, Paris and Prague.
Dublin: Shadowland
The current economic crisis bequeathed a legacy of half finished projects, undeveloped lands in inappropriate locations and ghost estates, complete but unoccupied. Alternative development proposals are required or the same models tweaked to reflect reduced 'market expectations' will be trotted out as solutions. The Dublin proposal is to seek alternative options for dealing with this legacy and reset the paradigm of development in a way that is more holistic, integrated, flexible, local and intuitive. Proposals that are focused as much on Social and Environmental as on Economic Sustainability. The location is the greater Dublin area in particular the edges and hinterland of Dublin.
Paris: At The Crossroads
Paris 10th district is open to Europe thanks to two train stations, Gare du Nord and Gare de l¹Est. A large-scale consultation will soon take place on the new development of this area. This true European crossroads is a place where a cross-section of business men in a hurry and the socially excluded are to be seen. This cohabitation, tolerated so far, will certainly disappear with the redistribution of spaces around the stations, which also constitute the beginning of large, Haussmann-style avenues. The aim is to reorganize car and pedestrian circulation, station squares, the start of Magenta and Strasbourg boulevards, to transform bus stations, to create a green area next to the Gare de l’Est. In short, this plan will induce a true revolution for the district in the coming years, which will no doubt provoke controversy. The applicant will “enter the battlefield” alongside experts, the local inhabitants, decision-makers, urban planners and architects, and will take part in public debates. This residence proposes an immersion within the heart of a district, reflecting on real community needs. The applicant will not deal with all issues, but will define his/her own field of action.
Prague: InnerLimits
The centre of Prague is famous for its picturesque buildings of all styles, crooked streets and charming alleys, where you can discover and experience a unique genius loci. On the other hand, the border of this historical area is very often hard to access and helps to reinforce the Disneyland image of the city centre. The historical heart of the city thus works as an isolated, conserved island, a tourist attraction cut off from the entire city. This separation is not only in mind, but it is very often accompanied by various physical obstacles, infrastructural corridors which are the heritage of the past. This situation is shared with many other European cities. Could this situation be changed by architectural intervention? How could we redefine architectural, infrastructural and public domains at the border between the heart of the city and its closest neighbourhoods? Proposals should use the Prague condition as a ground for solution, but at the same time they should focus on the contemporary understanding of the common spaces.
The originality of this project is that it is neither a competition nor a commission, but rather free space and time, a living laboratory dedicated to reflection and exchange in a foreign environment.
The project has two objectives:
- To add the applicant’s contribution and experience to a specific project in order to enrich it and bring external analysis
- To critically reflect on the working process and the way to ensure the continued existence of these residences.
These residences do not solely aim at producing a study in itself, but will rather include it in a constant dialogue with local interlocutors: inhabitants, clients, decision-makers, architects…
Project organizers will provide applicants with issues linked to specific territories or spaces, and applicants are free to interpret them; however, their proposals should address current stakes of European cities: urban sprawl, architectural creation in historical settings, reuse of service buildings, migration, transformation of large suburban areas…
The applicants’ proposals and processes will be presented during events such as the Venice Biennale or through diffusion networks dedicated to architecture.
Terms of the project
Maximum duration of the “residence”: 6 months Financing: each residence is provided with an all-inclusive grant of 9 000 € for designing work (50% paid beforehand, 50% after work completion) + travel, accommodation and supply costs. Work to be executed outside other contingences such as competitions, studies or commissions. The applicant will be responsible for the organisation of his own work over this period, in coordination with the reception centre. Applicants ought to answer one of the following proposals: The local organizer will set up at least 3 meetings with a “Follow-up Committee”, consisting of local decision-makers and/or clients, institutions for higher education and users’ or inhabitants’ associations. An acknowledged architect will act as a patron for each residence.
Call for participation/conditions
Calls for participation will be launched via the EFAP website (www.efap-fepa.eu) as well as an insert in A10 magazine and EFAP newsletter. Selection is open to architects who have designed at least a project, whether realized or in progress, as well as to those who have won a competition, completed a study, publication or organized workshops. Selection is open to EU citizens graduated from entitled institutions in their countries. Applicants ought to be represented by an individual or a team. Applications from mixed teams are allowed.
3 participants/teams will be selected in 2010, and 3 others in 2011. To take part in 2010, all applicants should have filled in and sent back an electronic application form (available on EFAP website), in one of the two EU official languages (English or French) BEFORE April 15, 2010.
Acknowledgement of receipt for all applications will be issued by EFAP.
1. Application
Application will consist of the following elements:
- CV, copies of identification papers and diploma(s);
- A cover letter (3000 characters max.)
- A presentation of realized or in progress projects and/or submissions to competitions (15 pages maximum);
- A signed authorisation including the free transfer of rights to EFAP, for internet or paper advertisement and publishing purpose (Converging Territories leaflet).
2. Selection process
Application will be submitted to a selection committee, which composition will be published on the EFAP website (and will consist of co-organizers, an architecture critic, a client…). (EFAP members will take part to the selection process).
3. Criteria’s
The following criteria’s will be specifically taken into account:
- Conception or realization quality of presented projects;
- Applicant’s commitment to tackle territorial topics outside of his/her country of origin;
- Applicant’s capacity to ensure good transmission/diffusion of any work to a larger audience;
- Good command of one of the EU official languages.
4. Monitoring of the residences
- Edition: a publication will report on realized works.
- Website: a section of the EFAP website will be specifically devoted to this project.
- Meetings and debates: applicants will take part in European meetings, in order to exchange and analyze practices.
Converging Territories: Pilot-Project for architects’ mobility in Europe
The pilot-project “Converging Territories” has been selected in the framework of the Call for proposals “Support to transnational mobility programmes or schemes in the field of culture“.
Objectives and description of the Call for proposals
This call for proposals will support, on an experimental basis, the mobility of artists and cultural professionals. Its aim is to explore new ways of funding mobility at EU level, with a view to promoting cultural diversity, reducing imbalances (regional and ingoing / outgoing) and fostering intercultural dialogue. The results will help to test how EU level funding can provide added value in supporting transnational mobility, and consequently contribute to the preparation of the Culture Programme for the next programming period beyond 2013, as well as provide input to policy development: Review of the works will be based on results but also, more specifically, on the implementation of the mobility process, for instance to measure the influence of mobility on professional work or economic and social advantages of mobility.
This project is organised by EFAP a.i.s.b.l. together with the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (Dublin), the Centre for Central European Architecture (Prague) and Point Ephémere (Paris), with the participation of the Berlage Institute (Rotterdam) and A10, European architectural magazine. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
