Exhibition: Industry Revisited
Learning from other fields has always been important for the development of architecture. Industrial inventions were crucial for the emergence of modernism in architecture: New
materials, new construction methods, mass production. Now seen as a period of naïve optimism on behalf of technology and industrialization, we forget the important societal
ambitions that lay behind this search of new architectural qualities.
In a time where computer technology is used to explore spectacular forms, the heavy industry has become a seemingly outdated field of interest for architects. But we want to ask if architecture today can return to industry as a field valid for searching for new knowledge or using as testing ground? Can a contemporary industry be used to renew and develop architecture, and help it deal with contemporary challenges?
Through the project “Offshore culture,” Helen and Hard (Stavanger) looks at the impact of the oil industry on the city of Stavanger. Stavanger has since the 70’s been changed by the oil industry’s flow of money, work forces, technology and research. Helen and Hard have for ten years been a part of this process, both as active participants, analysts and critics.
Barkow Leibinger (Berlin) dwells with the contemporary factory as a diverse topic in their exhibition concept “Ephemerality”: Based on their factory designs and recent redefinitions of the factory, they will focus their exhibition on new planning strategies and construction
technology.
dRMM (London) looks through the concept “Culture of construction” at new, sustainable materials derived from industrial resources. A highly social consciousness is present in their search for industrial inventions to deal with future challenges. As they state through their
exhibition, they consider themselves to be a part of a new “sustainable industrial revolution.”
The exhibition is a continuation of the exhibition of the same title arranged at PROJEKT 0047 / Berlin in October 2005.