ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK is one of the new members of FUTURE ARCHITECTURE PLATFORM
FUTURE ARCHITECTURE is the first pan-European platform of architecture museums, festivals and producers, bringing ideas on the future of cities and architecture closer to the wider public. Its main goals are:
Think Future – it highlights the emerging generation of talents in various disciplines and explore and share their ideas about the future of cities and architecture;
Exchange – 18 organisers from 15 countries are creating a pan-European programme, tour emerging creators and present their ideas at exhibitions, conferences, lectures and workshops, in books and on the web;
Raise awareness – the platform makes complex issues of architecture comprehensible to everyone, and promotes a more sustainable living environment;
Build commitment – a Future Architecture European Quality label recognizes organisers who work with aspiring emerging talents and show their commitment to the platform objectives.
Neighbourhood chat
Todor Kesarovski and Angel Bondov from |In|Formal have made a wonderful description of their work during ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016. Read their personal, but also very professional experience about one of the highlights of the festival’s program. Click here.
October – the month of a socialist collective housing neighbourhood in Bulgaria
Action, Citizen participation and Production at ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016
In October one Bulgarian socialist collective housing neighbourhood celebrated its special character. This neighbourhood was Trakiya – the third largest of its kind in Bulgaria, built as a dormitory-suburb in the 70’s, transformed daily by its inhabitants ever since and symptomatic for a phenomenon of civic action, widely spread in Bulgaria. The celebration was brought forward by a group of international architects, urbanists and activists who actively involved the local citizens. The occasion of the celebration was the 9th edition of the international festival for contemporary architecture and urban environment – ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK. The festival entered the socialist collective housing neighbourhood and focused on mechanisms of citizen participation. With the motto ACTION! Towards a neighbourhood practice and an extensive program ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK acted on the ground and involved both citizens and administration.
Almanac on sale
The “Almanac of prefab Trakiya” gathers in a publication the most important conclusions of the research of the neighbourhood of “Trakiya”. The research was carried out in preparation of ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016. Besides the thematically structured chapters, such as public spaces, local economy, transport, etc. the book also offers relevant articles from external authors. All this is illustrated richly with graphs, maps and diagrams. The “Almanac”‘s main text is in Bulgarian, but it also offers an introduction and a conclusion in English. It can be purchased via the website of “Janet 45”.
The Promises of Modernist Premises: Pool Trakiya 2016
Gabu Heindl (Vienna)
The district of Trakiya was designed in the 1970’s to become an exemplary plattenbau district; it is now the largest in Plovdiv. Inbetween block 1,2,3 of the post-war panel flat housing estates of Trakiya we found this abandoned outdoor swimming pool. A place at once generic and specific, the pool is present through its physical traces only, having been dry for nearly the entire time of its existence. All pool-appliances have been removed, the basin is filled with concrete. A large amount of the state-built apartments were privatized right from the beginning; today all apartments are private property. While private initiatives to customize these private apartments took off especially after the fall of communism, hardly anybody laid a hand on the communal pool structure.
Discover Trakiya!
Play the game of ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016
ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 challenges you to explore our 30 designated sites around Trakiya and take a selfie with each one. Upload the snaps on Facebook or Instagram with #OAW2016 or #ОбективТракия. The game will take place during the festival, between the 30th September and 9th October. Upon completion of the task, you will receive a prize. The first five of you who manage to take all 30 selfies will win a special Grand Prize. So go out and get to know Trakiya!
ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 enters the socialist collective housing neighbourhood
The ninth issue of the festival discusses the transforming power of citizen participation in forming the urban environment
The 9th edition of ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK enters the socialist collective housing neighbourhood will focus on the mechanisms of citizen participation. For the main location and the subject of the festival the organizers chose Trakiya, a typical Bulgarian socialist panelki dormitory-neighbourhood from the 70’s. With the motto ACTION! Towards a neighbourhood practice and a significant program OAW aims to go beyond a festival’s pattern, and is already acting on the ground developing tools in an attempt to start a practice of the neighbourhood.
The official Opening will be on 30th September, the so called “Day of Trakya”. The festival’s program is rich on different activities between 30.09 and the 8-9.10 weekend, when the Forum will gather 16 speakers from 14 countries.
Condo brandy
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
After a post in FB, available here.
“Condo brandy” (Etazhna grozdova, a word play in Bulgarian) is a theatre play, in which life in a panelka takes a central place. In this comedy are intertwined almost all cliches about such Bulgarian suburbs and in the main roles are the actors from the well known Bulgarian TV series “Condo property”.
Marzahn
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article in Failed Architecture, for the full version click here.
Mark Minkjan pays a visit to one of Berlin’s notorious panelki neighbourhoods, Marzahn. His walk is guided by an English-born DJ, who has been living in German capital for years. And whose latest album is profoundly inspired by Marzahn, the title of which being “Social Housing”!
How much does a panelka cost?
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article in Capital, for the full version click here. (only in Bulgarian)
The panelki become often the subject of emotional conversations. People discuss at length whether they are ugly, uncomfortable, demeaning to their inhabitants, a symbol of a totalitarian state, a bad dream, etc. Given the fact that a substantial amount of Bulgarians call the panelki their home it is not surprising that the prefab structures have become part of the urban folklore.
The Transition city
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from academia.edu, for the full version click here.
In her book “The ethnosociology of the city. According to Plovdiv” doctor Meglena Zlatkova studies the topic of the effect of the post-communist transition on the Bulgarian city. The book is an ethno-sociological research of aspect of Plovdiv’s life at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries. An important place in the research has been given to the Trakiya neighbourhood. Life in Trakiya has been studied through the experience of different generations of Plovdivians by using urban constructs and stories, by looking at the everyday life and the moments of celebration.
Community creation
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Chișineu, for the full version click here.
Zaikin Park in Chisinau is an area, on which some of this year’s Forum guests, the Oberliht association, has been working for already some years. The park is a small patch of land, located in close proximity to the centre of Moldova’s capital. It is surrounded by diverse types of buildings, which house different functions.
Design brief
The main intervention of ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 aims at testing new models of involving citizens in the process of constructing, changing and maintaining of the urban environment. The first step in this process was done in July by the team of |In|Formal who carried out a number of meetings with the inhabitants of the buildings adjacent to the green area chosen to be the location for the main intervention.
Living in high-rise
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Highrise, for the full version click here.
HIGHRISE is a multi-media, multi-year documentary project by the Canadian film director Katerina Cizek. It explores vertical living in the global suburbs. It is a many-media collaborative documentary experiment at the National Film Board of Canada, produced by Gerry Flahive.
Main interventions – progress
This year ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK will have one main intervention. It will take place in the plattenbau district Trakiya and the citizens will play an important part in it.
The Return of Commoning
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Cargo collective, for the full version click here.
“Return of the commoning” is a 1996 photo-documentation project by Hal Foster. It focuses on the open green spaces between panel blocks in five different districts .
The Grit and Glory of New Belgrade
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Arch Daily, for the full version click here.In the autumn of 2014, Piotr Bednarski, a Warsaw-based photographer, visited the municipality of Novi Beograd (New Belgrade).
(De)Standartised
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Future Architecture Platform, for the full version click here.
How would (post) soviet plattenbau districts look in the future? Gurgenidze Tinatin (architect and urban planner) and Corella Roser (journalist and filmmaker) search for the answers to this question.
The modeling of Vienna
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Abitare, for the full version click here.
The book “Modelling Vienna, Real Fiction in Social Housing”, edited by Michael Klein and Andreas Rumpfhuber gives us a throughout research on the topic of housing in Vienna today. A curious fact is that over 80% of the citizens live in publicly owned buildings, some of which are panel blocks, and that is a tradition that started in the early 20’s of the XX century. This was a result of the socialist-democratic influences of the local politics at that time.
Project “Seoul”
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from The Berlage, for the full version click here.
One of the world’s largest megacities – Seoul, is undergoing demographic changes.
Meeting the neighbours
ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK’s research of the plattenbau district Trakiya is coming to an end. An important part of this research are the citizens, that is why we will continue meeting with them up until the beginning of the festival (30.09 – 09. 10). The information that is accumulated in this fashion will be included in the festival’s main exhibition and it will help us with the creation of the first intervention.
The meeting with the citizens are coordinated by two of our volunteers, the sociologists Georgi Stavrev and Gabriella Merdzhanova. We interviewed them and asked them questions about the data they have:
Revisioning Bijlmermeer
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Failed Architecture, for the full version click here.
It’s hard to see the sense of progress, urgency and aspiration that motivated the work of the architects and urban planners of the 50’s and 60’s. Even before the war they aspired to create new and optimal living conditions with the needed space, light and greenery. The highest aim was to create a good and healthy environment for the citizens of the overcrowded cities. Throughout the world the process of slum eradication, mass housing and modernist urban planning divided the city into different zones, separating living, working, recreation and transport and shaping the social relations.
Trakiya
In February we started our research campaign about Trakiya, Plovdiv. Trakiya will be the main location of ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 as well as the place through which we aim to analyze the meaning of the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
The research is being led by Nina Toleva, an architect and a PhD candidate at the “History and Theory of Architecture” department of the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG) in Sofia. In her dissertation she stands behind the theory of cities being similar to living organism and analyzes the roots of Modern and post-modern architecture and utopias from an organic point of view, while focusing on two ways of organising such districts: top-down and bottom-up.
Nina believes that Trakiya is a great example of the clash between top-down and bottom-up ways of organisation. The Urban Plan of Trakiya has undergone great change after the inhabitants moved in. The neighbourhood changed from a place where people only slept to a lively and self-sufficient district. The results of the research that Nina leads will form the base of ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016’s main exhibition.
Three months after the beginning of the research and while we are finishing the process of collecting data, we decided to shed light on the process behind this research as well as on some interesting facts about Trakiya. The questions are asked by Ljubo Georgiev, ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK’s director, and the answers are given by Nina Toleva.
Prefab is All the Rage
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Central Berlin, for the full version click here.
An interesting phenomenon resides in central Berlin. Along with the neoclassical buildings there are blocks from prefabricated concrete panels, known as “plattenbau” in Germany, that frame the space between Alexanderplatz and Strausberger Platz. But can we really put such a place under the typical plattenbau stigma of a poor and unkempt place?
How do we live in panel blocks?
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Urbanisztika, for the full version click here.
A study on plattenbau districts in Hungary from 2006 shows us that one third of the people living in Budapest live in a panel block and are actually content with their living situation.
Folk architecture monument
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article from Tomáš Džadoň’s website, for the full version click here.
Today’s article focuses on Tomáš Džadoň’s work.
A common topic
We have prepared an overview of the major architecture events around Europe this year. Our motive to do this was the sudden realisation that this year Europe’s critics and fans of architecture will be all busy with some very similar topics. Intriguing!
Reclaiming individuality
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article in Bartlett Lobby, for the full version click here.
We continue with the topic of individuality of plattenbau buildings, albeit in a different aspect. Balconies are a traditional architectural element.
What do yurtas and plattenbau have in common
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article in The Calvert Journal, for the full version click here.
In Almati, Kazakhstan, the tower blocks sport an unusual look. Their facades are variegated with colourful ornaments, much like those on the felt covering yurts.
This intrigued Dennis Keen and he began a research on the matter.
The untold stories of Soviet Modernism
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment“.An article in ArchDaily, for the full version click here.
Today we bring to your attention the research and exhibition of the Vienna Architekturzentrum (or “Centre of Architecture”) from the year 2012., called “Soviet Modernism 1955 – 1991. Unknown Stories.”.
Are soviet microregions cultural heritage?
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment“.
An article in ArchDaily, for the full version click here.
What are the characteristics of an architectural design that make it worthy of the name “cultural heritage” and who are the people that decide?
An attempt at change 2016 – Lacaton & Vassal
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article in METROPOLIS MAGAZINE, for the full version click here.
Today plattenbau districts, especially those consisting of social homes are under threat of demolition everywhere around the world. But there are two french architects who think saving these places, their public functions and their socio-cultural links is of great importance.
Egor Rogalev’s Concretopia
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article in The Calvert Journal, for the full version click here.
We continiue the topic of photography of post-soviet cities with Egor Rogalev and his exploration of the edgelands in the cities of Russia, Belarus, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, and other eastern European and ex-communist bloc countries.
Architecture in context
Between march 9th and 20th in the Museum of Sofia (the old Central Bathhouse) can be seen the exhibition “Architecture in context”. 12 projects, built in Portugal the last 15 years, will be exhibited. The exhibition’s author is Ina Valkanova, an architecture with professional experience from Portugal, Germany and Bulgaria. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK was invited by Ina to organise a debate, which relates to the exhibition. It will take place on March 15th at 18:00 in the exhibition space. The debate’s name is “Identity in/to/with/from/despite the context” and the focus will fall on the link between identity and context in Bulgaria.
In relation to the exhibition we asked Ina a number of questions.
Boris Kralj shares his Belgrade
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment“.
An article in The Calvert Journal, for the full version click here.
In a collection of articles and interviews around the topic of post-soviet cities, The Calvet Journal has assembled the projects of five phorographers, each with their own unique insight on the topic.
One of the articles tells the story of Boris Kralj, a born and raised in Germany photographer of yugoslavian descent. He shares his experiences in Belgrade, a city he visited often with his parents as a child in a book called “My Belgrade”.
Urban awareness
In 2016 ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK will discuss the topic of citizen participation in the creation of the city. As a main location has been chosen the 62 thousand-strong plattenbau suburb of Plovdiv, Trakiya. By choosing Trakiya we direct our attention to all similar neighbourhoods in Bulgaria and Europe.
An important element of ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK is the kids program. In the context of the topic “citizen participation” the festival is starting a pilot project called “Urban awareness”. Its main aim is to stimulate the young to be sensitive and critical about their environment.
The price of “sink estate” demolishment
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article in The Conversation, for the full version click here.
We continiue the previous topic of our weekly articles – prime-minister David Cameron’s urge to invest £140m in demolishing Britain’s so called “sink estates” and to build new houses in their place.
British plattenbau – going extinct?
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbau stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of“citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article in The Guardian, for the full version click here.
One of the serious problems in Britain’s public housing program is the increasing crime rate in the so called “sink estates” – places with poor housing and working conditions. These territories are usually owned by the local government and have a lot of “council houses” – owned by a local council and rented out to tenants.
Citizen participation
In 2016 ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK will discuss the topic of citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment. This topic has been steadily gaining importance in various fields of design: from urban planning, through building design to interior architecture. Citizen participation has become in many countries a praised and sought method for working on the city. In the Bulgarian, but also in the regional Balkan context, this topic is still much of a taboo. And still, the Balkans have quite what to show, when it comes to active citizenry. The fall of communism/socialism and subsequently the wars and the financial crisis brought significant modifications to the urban tissue of many cities. It was rather citizens who were the main driving force behind those modifications.
A leap in a plattenbau reality
This article is part of our weekly series “Plattenbaul stories”, introducing the topic of plattenbau districts in Europe and the world. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK 2016 will be held in Trakiya, a plattenbau districts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 30th until October 9th. The main focus of the festival is the topic of “citizen participation in the creation of the urban environment”.
An article in ThisIsLeap, for the full version click here.
Is it possible for these prefab giants to have a new role in today’s city, different than their usual one? Leap’s DIY Adventure project shows that any structure and building can become a playground, as long as we have the courage to transform it.