{"id":141819,"date":"2022-01-19T11:24:46","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T10:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aarch.dk\/?p=141819"},"modified":"2026-01-21T11:49:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T10:49:47","slug":"utzonia-book-explores-links-between-welfare-state-and-utzon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aarch.dk\/en\/utzonia-book-explores-links-between-welfare-state-and-utzon\/","title":{"rendered":"UTZONIA: BOOK EXPLORES LINKS BETWEEN WELFARE STATE AND UTZON"},"content":{"rendered":"
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News<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n

UTZONIA: BOOK EXPLORES LINKS BETWEEN WELFARE STATE AND UTZON<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/section>\n

The book ‘Utzonia’ explores the economic, cultural, and political influences by the Danish welfare state on J\u00f8rn Utzon\u2019s architectural production.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n

19.01.2022<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/main><\/div><\/div>

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The publication presents and analyzes a series of projects carried out by Utzon during the second half of the twentieth century. Each of these is interpreted through a set of infographics that offer a critical perspective on \u201cwelfare state architecture\u201d and its politico-ideological implications. These materials are finally accompanied by a series of critical texts that frame Utzon\u2019s work from various points of view.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>

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Utzonia<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The book is both a contribution to the existing knowledge of J\u00f8rn Utzon\u2019s legacy and an experiment in architectural pedagogy at\u00a0Aarhus School of Architecture\u00a0and at\u00a0DIS Copenhagen, Denmark. It also gives recognition to recent research of international influences on Utzon\u2019s architecture such as Chinese, Arabic and middle Eastern architecture.<\/p>\n

\u201dThere was a postcolonial situation where wealthy nations were providing \u201chard aid\u201d after World War II to erect new constructions from the use of new building techniques involving prefab concrete elements. This would, however, develop into the export of a \u201csofter aid\u201d of values and culture coming from the Danish welfare society \u2013 and Utzon contributed to this development\u201d, says Troels Rugbjerg, teaching associate professor at The Aarhus School of Architecture and co-author of Utzonia.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>

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Opslag fra Utzonia<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Critical thinking as a priority<\/h5>\n

The experimental courses predating the book took place at The Aarhus School of Architecture and DIS Copenhagen respectively. The aim was a pedagogy that sought to free the students of potential a priori positions and\/or perspectives offered by their teachers, instead letting them explore more freely in search of their own critical perspectives.<\/p>\n

\u201dIt was an experiment, a very free approach that the students really appreciated. So, being more precise, all the drawings were made by students enrolled at DIS while all the models by students enrolled at AAA. And that\u2019s how we experimented and found one possible alternative to a way of teaching and education of the \u201cold schools\u201d of architecture. We don\u2019t want to impose any positions on others, we don\u2019t have any gospel to preach them. It is up to the students to develop their own critical perspectives and learn from what the course and our experience might offer. We strive to create a framework where students can grow as critical thinkers first of all\u201d, says Angela Gigliotti, postdoc and PhD at The Aarhus School of Architecture.<\/p>\n

Utzonia is published by ListLab and available from their webshop.<\/p>\n

Ressources<\/h5>\n

The authors have been interviewed for the Finnish architecture blog bookm-ark.fi \u2013 the quotes in the above article was lifted from that interview (with permission). Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can also read interviews with the authors at artwort.com<\/a>, koozarch.com and newgenerationsweb.com.<\/p>\n

Facts<\/h5>\n