alenlondres

Architectural association

Pros Fresh, exciting design research on cities and urban planning

Cons Too many grids, mats, meshes and nets

Standout students Max von Werz, Martin Jameson, Alejandra Bosch

The AA remains the UK’s most dynamic and productive school; its foundation year has been reorganised in an interesting way and is producing good outcomes; its critical theory department, its publications, its rich support resources and its lecture series continue to keep it among the best such institutions in the world.

But in some ways its radicalism in design is becoming mannered and predictable. A high percentage of the work here seems locked into a narcissistic logic that cannot stop producing the same architectural bling of distorted nets, abstract grids and curvy blobs. Although this is all drawn and modelled to an incredibly high standard, it is reiterative. But the work on cities is strong, inspiring, and authentically radical.

Beautiful logic

All the Landscape Urbanism projects directed by Eva Castro of Plasma Studio begin by rejecting the obvious to seek fresher ways of analysing cities. If the drawings of this group seem beautiful, this is not because they self-consciously try to be so but because they are the outcome of scientific, logical processes. If only one were singled out, this might be Responsive Coastline by Alejandra Bosch for her denunciation of the stupid antiecological developmental model being pursued in Dubai. Instead she proposes extending the desert into the ocean, not as palms but as irregular land tentacles that work with sea currents instead of against them, and offer more inspiring possibilities.

This is a show that no architect or planner in London should miss, but to get the most out of it visitors should be critical and selective or they will be overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of work displayed.

Aqui van los links de la revista y del Blog del Landscape Urbanism programme

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=429&storycode=3091651&c=2&encCode=000000000135c103

http://aa-landscape-urbanism.blogspot.com/