17th Vienna Architecture Congress

Fri – Sun, 20.– 22.11.2009

The 17th Vienna Architecture Congress is dedicated to two key phenomena in the urban development of southeast Europe that have accompanied the dissolution of the socialist economic system: the extensive informal development, which represents a new form of urbanisation, as well as the prestige projects required by every town or city if they are to participate in the global competition for star architecture. Architects, urbanists and experts from a range of cities in southeastern Europe pursue these phenomena in the largely unregulated processes of urban transformation, and discuss the suitability for the future of the individual models with a focus on the ’worldwide economic crisis‘.

FRI, 20.11.2009, 7PM: OPENING EVENT
Dietmar Steiner, Director Az W
Kai Vöckler, Curator of the exhibition
Christine Böhler, Director of the ERSTE Stiftung culture programme

Discussion “High Potentials in Real Estate Development in South East Europe” with Austrian developers:
Alexander Petritz, CEO of ISRED Institute for Real Estate Development, Belgrade, Sarajevo and Zagreb
Georgine Rumpler-Heindl, Shareholder and deputy supervisory board chairman of HABAU
Group and CEO of Heindl Holding and Heindl Leasing Coporation
Jochen W. Seibert, Managing director of Redserve GmbH Real Estate Development services
Moderator of the discussion: Dietmar Steiner, Director Az W

SAT, 21.11.2009
11:00 Dietmar Steiner, Director Az W, introduction
Kai Vöckler, Curator and programme director Archis Interventions/SEE, introductory lecture on the theme
of Balkanology (D): ’Turbo Urbanism in South Eastern Europe‘

11:45 Maroje Mrduljaš, architectural critic and editor of Oris magazine (HR): ’Architecture in the Age of Transition‘

12:30 lunch break

2pm Lectures on Tirana
Besnik Aliaj, Rector of Polis University International School of Architecture and Urban Development Policies (AL): ’Planning between Vacume and Chaos! The case of Co-PLAN, Tirana-Albania‘
Winy Maas, architect (NL): ’I love Tirana‘

3.30pm break

4pm Lecture on Bucharest
Stefan Ghenciulescu, editor-in-chief, ’Arhitectura‘
magazine (RO): ’Scenarios for the collective housing from the socialist period in Bucharest‘

Lecture on Albania
4.30pm Vedran Mimica, director of Institute Berlage, “Land of the Eagle where Spring Flowers, Spring Frost”

Edi Rama, Mayor of Tirana: cancelled

SUN, 22.11.2009
11:00 Lecture on Belgrade
Ivan Kucina, Assistant professor University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture (SRB): ’Balkanization as Development Strategy‘

12:00 lunch break

1.30pm Lectures on Istanbul
Orhan Esen, Social and economic historian and urban activist (TR): ’On informal backgrounds: Istanbul‘
Murat Tabanlioglu, architect (TR): ’Life of a complex city, Istanbul‘

3pm break

3.30pm Lectures on Sofia
Ephgenia Hodkevitch and Boris Enev, architects, co-founders of fordewind architecture ltd. (BG): ’Sofia 2019 – a norm-alternative pathology‘
Dominique Perrault, architect (F): ’Urban Substance‘

5pm Concluding discussion

The congress will be held in English.
Congress moderated by: Kai Vöckler

Subject to alteration