In the course of teaching at the AA-Visiting School Algiers Gunnar Ploner is conducting an on-site investigation at El Harrach, a rapidly changing urban environment in Algiers. The site is a mix of different typological entities and is characterized by the simultaneous presence of heavy industry, high density social housing, a huge shopping mall, touristic buildings, the construction of the great mosque of Algiers, vacant industrial buildings and a highly polluted river. This landscape is glued together by a network of various transportation infrastructures.
Archive for the 'RESEARCH' Category
On-Site Urban Investigation Algiers
Published 2012/11/18 RESEARCH , TEACHING ClosedTags: aa visiting school, Algiers, el harrach
LURG @ ETH ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
Published 2012/09/14 RESEARCH ClosedTags: zürich stadt, zürich stadtentwicklung, zürich zukunft, zurich, zurich future, zurich future urban development, zurich metropolenregion, zurich metropolitan area
Communication Technology and the Future Urban Landscape
Published 2012/09/10 RESEARCH ClosedTags: communication technology, future cities, future city, future urban landscape, mobile technology
CONTENT
The program is an investigation of extreme urban environments and special forms of spatial organizations. The focus lies on cities and urban agglomerations beyond the European context. Which urban environments do we understand as `extreme` in contrast to the pattern of the European city?
The study looks at cities in a globalized world and discovers and identifies urban patterns, documents distinct urban phenomena and interprets the findings. Investigations can cover traditional, modern, formal or informal urban structures. The thematic exploration of urban environments ranges from looking at infrastructure and ecology, to questions of housing, urban systems and form.
The spatial and typological analysis is backed up by the study of the local urban history and the economic and social situation of the inhabitants.
Following questions should be answered
– Which typologies of urban patterns exist beyond the European region?
– Which conditions create extreme forms of urban development?
– Looking at the global urban development, can we recognize a tendency of similarity and uniformity of urban concepts or do regional urban typologies with well defined characteristics and differences exist?
The intent of the program is to strengthen the ability to read and understand the emergence of urban patterns and complex urban phenomena.
Gunnar Ploner introduces the Extreme Urbanism Lab at the Institute of Design – Studio1, Prof. Stefano de Martino.
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Spatial development study on the territory between Africa and Europe
Published 2012/01/16 EVENTS , RESEARCH ClosedTags: ceuta, infrastructural urbanism, morocco, spatial development africa, urban interventions
LURG presenting research study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in the Cinema Rif, Tangier, Morocoo. The project is looking at existing conditions and future projections utilising small-scale phenomena and translating found conditions into large-scale urban interventions (Gunnar Ploner).