Society of Architectural Historians (SAH), 69th Annual International Conference

Sessions:

  1. That Which Does Not Last: Ephemeral Architecture After Modernism
  2. Global Exchanges of Social Housing in the Middle-East

Submission details: SAH is using an online abstract submission process. Please note that abstracts must be under 300 words; the title cannot exceed 65 characters, including spaces and punctuation; and abstracts must follow the Chicago Manual of Style. For more information on the submission process, please go to the conference website.

[1] That Which Does Not Last: Ephemeral Architecture After Modernism

If Vitruvius identified ‘durability’ as one of the three principles for good buildings in his De architectura, ephemeral architecture, temporary constructions related to a particular and timely set of events, may be of paramount importance for the history of architecture and urban transformation. Appearing in the late 14th century as ‘ephemera’, a medical term designating a fever ‘lasting a day’, the word evolved to designate a transitory existence. Usually linked to popular events and celebrations - festivals, religious rites, and exhibitions -, ephemeral architecture became ‘the architecture of the transitory’: used to symbolize power, entertain the masses, or test ideas.

From Hans Hollein’s temporary office to Georges Emmerich three-dimensional structures, from Utopie’s inflatables to Archigram’s Instant City, ephemeral architecture re-enters the scene in the late sixties. Encouraged by the idea of mobility, flexibility and environmental issues, the ephemeral is investigated by architects in a diversity of forms, formats and materials. Later on, intermingling with the world of cinema, theatre and other make belief practices, the ephemeral takes another important turn. As architects are giving increased attention to the city’s transformation, the ephemeral becomes both a way of engaging with urban space and its history. Aldo Rossi’s theatre del Mondo is a quintessential example: relating both to Venice’s urban form as to the archetypes of Italian architectural history.

This session will discuss the role of ephemeral architecture in the construction and theorization of postmodern architecture with papers that address - thematically or through case studies - one or more of the following questions:

  • What characterized ephemeral architecture in the post-war era?
  • How did postmodern architects’ obsession with images and language translate in the form of ephemeral architecture?
  • What was, in the postmodern era, the link between ephemeral architecture and the city?

Session Chairs:

  • Veronique Patteeuw, ENSAP Lille, vpatteeuw[at]gmail.com
  • Léa-Catherine Szacka, The Oslo School of Architecture and Design, lcszacka[at]gmail.com

[2] Global Exchanges of Social Housing in the Middle-East

Writing the global history of social housing that goes beyond the temporal, geographical and conceptual boundaries of the “West” is still an unfinished project. Equally important is the task of expanding the scope of existing scholarship on social housing experiences in the “non-West”, which has predominantly been limited to the study of direct or indirect implementations of European or American models: what types of social housing have been built in the Middle East in the 20th and 21st centuries? Where, when, and under which circumstances did these types originate? How were architectural forms, layouts, and construction technologies transformed while traveling across cities, continents, and cultures? More importantly, what is the role of local builders, tenants and homeowners in the production of the “modern vernacular”?

This session aims to bring together less well-known examples of social housing projects built in the Middle East to explore transnational connections that shaped low-cost dwelling practices. We invite scholarly works that pursue hitherto neglected histories of lower-income residents and their homes, both equally pushed to the margins of architectural history. As such, the panel seeks proposals that address social housing through chronologically diverse contexts in the Middle East (including, but not limited to, Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and Persian Gulf region) through case study or comparative research. Paper proposals that focus on the multiplicity of (post)colonial, international and transnational influences on social housing in Middle-Eastern cities and their ‘localized’ interpretations are particularly welcome. Papers could also address how social housing contributed to the planning and evolution of cities in the Middle East, or how certain cases delved into contextual issues and the question of modernity in this region.

Session Chairs:

  • Kivanc Kilinc, Ya?ar University, kivanckilinc[at]gmail.com
  • Mohammad Gharipour, Morgan State University, mohammad[at]gatech.edu