Friday 8 October 2021

by Kristine Leth Juul, Prorector at Aarhus School of Architecture

Opening of the second day at Opening Architecture Festival 2021.

Aarhus School of Architecture – Are You There?

Ever since it was founded, Aarhus School of Architecture has been a prominent cultural and educational institution in the city. How do we ensure that the school continues to play a role in the development of the city as a platform for important critical debates about future architecture and urban environments? How do we train architects to handle a reality dominated by developers’ sky-high dreams while preserving the city’s qualities?

Rune Kilden (DK) is an urban developer and co-founder of Kilden & Hindby. Among other works of architecture, Rune Kilden is behind Pakhusene (The Warehouses) and of Lighthouse, which is nominated for Office Architecture of the Year 2021. He received the honorary award De Gyldne Søm (The Golden Nails) from Byggesocietetet (Danish Building Society) in 2017.

Anne Mette Boye (DK) is Chief City Architect in Aarhus Municipality (DK) and a former teaching associate professor (PhD) at Aarhus School of Architecture.

Sarah Jarsbo (DK) is an urban development consultant at NCC, board member and chairwoman of Foreningen Sydhavnen (South Harbour Association), independent consultant at Y Factory and a juror in Realdania’s campaign Underværker (Works of Wonder).

Lars Juel Thiis (DK) has studied architecture at Aarhus School of Architecture and at AA in London and is founding partner of CUBO. Thiis’ main field of interest has been education architecture and transformation. Next to his practice he has been head of the Danish Arts Foundation and is a long time critic of architectural matters.

Aarhus – Mars, return

New robot technology, AI and digital programs are the architect’s new tools and lead to profound changes in the way architecture is conceived, designed and built. But are space colonies an answer to overpopulation, climate challenges and resource depletion? After exploiting and colonizing the earth, should we follow the money – and Elon Musk – to the playground of the privileged weightless few, or should we fix the problems on planet Earth – staying with the trouble, leaving no one behind?

Bjarke Ingels (DK) is an architect, founder and creative partner of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and has won numerous competitions. Ingels is, e.g. known for housing complexes in Ørestaden, VIA 57 West in Manhattan, Superkilen, Amager Resource Center, and collaboration with Elon Musk about architecture on Mars.

Signe Kongebro (DK) is an architect and partner at Henning Larsen Architects. Kongebro is the Global Design Director and founder of the sustainability department at Henning Larsen. The studio has received The European Prize for Architecture 2019 for its sustainable architecture.

Ricelli Laplace Resende (BR)  (they/them) is an architect and educator based in Aarhus. Ricelli is passionate about community building, permaculture and sustainable building practices and has worked and researched in various countries, including Brazil, Japan, Mongolia, Indonesia and Denmark. Ricelli believes that good architecture empowers people, enhances their passions and abilities while creating active, equitable and sustainable communities. Ricelli is currently completing the PhD ‘Responsible Architecture: participatory learning for sustainable behaviour in design’.

Last-Minute Architecture

The climate crisis has led to a paradigm shift in architecture that is unprecedented since the Modern Breakthrough. Established dogma and norms for quality and design are being challenged, and resource consumption in the building industry is facing radical changes. How do we strike the right balance between quick and long-term solutions, between greenwashing and architectural sustainability?

Emmy Laura Perez Fjalland (DK) is an external lecturer (PhD) at Roskilde University, writer, curator and guest lecturer at the Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design and Conservation. Among other platforms, Fjalland curates the Føljeton (Serial) newsletter ‘Jordbo’ (Earthling), which focuses on the ecological crisis. 

Flemming Rafn Thomsen (DK) is an architect and co-founder of Third Nature. Among other accolades, the firm has received Årets Arne (Arne of the Year) 2021 for Enghave Park’s Climate Park and been included in ‘Best of What’s New’ from Popular Science for the ‘Climate Tile’, which has received several other nominations.

Mette Tony (DK) is an architect, professional juror, foundation member, co-founder of Praksis and chairman of Nykredit’s Architecture Award. Mette Tony is the recipient of the Eckersberg Medal and Nykredit’s Architecture Award, among other accolades.

Marianne Krogh (DK) is an editor in a publishing house, curator, art historian and PhD of architecture. She recently curated the ‘Con-nect-ed-ness’ exhibition in the Danish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021. Previously, she was a commissioner for the Danish Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale and a curator for the Danish contribution to the São Paulo Biennale.

From Our Point Of View (II)

A discussion between architects from Aarhus practices and the moderators about the future architecture agenda – What is the real trouble?

Birthe Urup (DK) is a landscape architect, teaching assistant professor at Aarhus School of Architecture, and co-founder of DETBLÅ (The Blue). The studio stands behind many projects in Denmark with the ambition to use landscape as a fundament in construction. Urup has worked for several years as director of competitions for Torben Schønherr’s and Kristine Jensen’s studio.

Kolja Nielsen (DK) is an architect, co-founder and CEO of CEBRA. Kolja is a professional juror and former chairman for Danish Association of Architectural Firms. CEBRA has received i.a. Nykredit’s Architecture Award and the Golden Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

Søren Leth (DK) is an architect and partner at SLETH. For more than 15 years, Søren Leth has worked extensively with – and taught in – architecture, urbanism, and modernist cultural heritage. Søren co-curated the exhibition “At turde tænke” (Dare to think) about architect Knud Blach Petersen and has an in-depth knowledge of Danish concrete modernism.

Counter Current

Listen carefully when the founder of the Johannesburg-based collaborative architectural studio Counterspace presents a practice that occupies a space between the functional and the speculative, pedagogy and practice. A voice from the global south that simultaneously describes and imagines cities and their histories and futures. As the final keynote speaker, Symayya Vally will take us on both a critical and visionary ride – staying with the trouble.

Sumayya Vally (SA) is an architect, founder of Counterspace and the youngest architect ever to design the Serpentine Pavilion, in 2020/21. According to Time Magazine’s TIME100 Next she is among the world’s most influential innovative leaders in 2021.