Considered only in negative and problematic terms – lacking architects, lacking planning, lacking rules, marginal and very poor – the favelas constitute, partly because of their immense size and variety, a type of settlement that needs to be seen as a new area of experience and learning for architecture.
The issue can be downloaded from the website along with many of the other interesting issues from Lotus. Each issue of the magazine is dedicated to exploring and discussing a specific topic in architecture. Some other recent topics have included " Landscape and Infrastructures", "Temporary Architecture", "Housing Differentiation", "New Settlements in China", to name a few. The topics are thoroughly explored through in-depth essays, diagrams, and photographs.
I am so tired of architects romanticizing poverty as if its something to be preserved. I guess left overs from the enlightenment where the picturesque was sought everywhere. I've traveled these places, walked in corners where one should never walk, much less live, and it's not something that should even be praised in an academic setting. While the academics keep their infatuation with this topic, (probably even lamenting its demise someday) the rest of the architects will replace it repeating all the mistakes of the 20th century urban renewal or yet another series of kitsch structures.
For me personally it's not about glamourizing it, but improving the housing stock while keeping the unique urban fabric and social fabric of the favelas. The medieval european city was also considered highly unsanitary, ineffcient, etc by architects and urban planners in the following centuries - especially the modernists. But now we in Europe are reembracing these historical medieval urban centers in Europe and restoring the exteriors and giving some of them contemporary interiors.
the most beautiful aspect of favelas is that they expose even the world's most talented architects as lacking imagination and being out of touch with primal organization principles.
If favelas are organic democracy, then vast majority of architectural work done by 'professionals' is corporate fascism.
Maestro, we are not romanticizing poverty. Some of us ARE fascinated with the sheer efficiency of built environments that are poor on resources. A far cry from 'affluent' suburbs where not owning a vehicle makes you a non-person. It's the same fascination as with cities who's organizing principles date back to medieval times.
Lotus: your subscription model is a bit of a head scratcher. One issue is $27, but 4 cost $165, and then you are selling PDF's, but with no samples of what they might even look like. Italians. hmph. :)
@rusty: The cost of the magazine is 27 Euros (not including shipping costs). The shipping costs to the U.S. would be about 18 Euros. So for 1 issue the total cost for someone in the U.S. would be: 45 Euros.
On the otherhand, the one year subscription costs 165Euros(including shipping costs). There are 4 issues each year. So 165 divided by 4 equals: 41,25 Euros.
You would save about 3,75 Euros per issue or about 5 U.S. dollars.
Also, regarding favelas/slums I agree with rusty about the general fascination by architects AND tourists alike.
As for the PDF previews, there are a couple images. If you are interested in seeing larger and more images from each issue you can follow us on TWITTER or Pushpullbar(the images there are in higher resolution.) In any case, I will post a handful of images from each issue as they come out.
The problem with trying to reimagine favelas architecturally is that by doing so, you strip away its very essence and the result ends up appearing highly unauthentic.
When your conditions give you no choice but to be resourceful, pretty crazy shit can happen and there's no way of replicating this phenomenon in a design studio.
I suppose that a lack of originality is a small price to pay for relative comfort and affluence.
I agree with Rusty too! Architects tend to see places like the settlements as lacking design, lacking planning etc etc.. but in reality is quite complex.. I actually quite like the studies done by John Turner, Nabeel Hamdi etc who speak about small change and empowering the community to create their own places rather than designers! Though architecture as a part of the built fabric is important, its not the most crucial part. There're more complex social and economic structures that need to be studied and understood well before design can enter the equation... especially if the interest is in working in such differing cultures..
Mar 24, 11 7:50 pm ·
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Lotus 143 " FAVELAS"
Check out Lotus 143 titled "FAVELAS"
Considered only in negative and problematic terms – lacking architects, lacking planning, lacking rules, marginal and very poor – the favelas constitute, partly because of their immense size and variety, a type of settlement that needs to be seen as a new area of experience and learning for architecture.
The issue can be downloaded from the website along with many of the other interesting issues from Lotus. Each issue of the magazine is dedicated to exploring and discussing a specific topic in architecture. Some other recent topics have included " Landscape and Infrastructures", "Temporary Architecture", "Housing Differentiation", "New Settlements in China", to name a few. The topics are thoroughly explored through in-depth essays, diagrams, and photographs.
www.editorialelotus.it
Happy reading!!!
How 'bout a free sample?
I am so tired of architects romanticizing poverty as if its something to be preserved. I guess left overs from the enlightenment where the picturesque was sought everywhere. I've traveled these places, walked in corners where one should never walk, much less live, and it's not something that should even be praised in an academic setting. While the academics keep their infatuation with this topic, (probably even lamenting its demise someday) the rest of the architects will replace it repeating all the mistakes of the 20th century urban renewal or yet another series of kitsch structures.
For me personally it's not about glamourizing it, but improving the housing stock while keeping the unique urban fabric and social fabric of the favelas. The medieval european city was also considered highly unsanitary, ineffcient, etc by architects and urban planners in the following centuries - especially the modernists. But now we in Europe are reembracing these historical medieval urban centers in Europe and restoring the exteriors and giving some of them contemporary interiors.
Medieval cities were also associated with filth and pollution and all things unfit for a "modern" humans.
the most beautiful aspect of favelas is that they expose even the world's most talented architects as lacking imagination and being out of touch with primal organization principles.
If favelas are organic democracy, then vast majority of architectural work done by 'professionals' is corporate fascism.
Maestro, we are not romanticizing poverty. Some of us ARE fascinated with the sheer efficiency of built environments that are poor on resources. A far cry from 'affluent' suburbs where not owning a vehicle makes you a non-person. It's the same fascination as with cities who's organizing principles date back to medieval times.
Lotus: your subscription model is a bit of a head scratcher. One issue is $27, but 4 cost $165, and then you are selling PDF's, but with no samples of what they might even look like. Italians. hmph. :)
@rusty: The cost of the magazine is 27 Euros (not including shipping costs). The shipping costs to the U.S. would be about 18 Euros. So for 1 issue the total cost for someone in the U.S. would be: 45 Euros.
On the otherhand, the one year subscription costs 165Euros(including shipping costs). There are 4 issues each year. So 165 divided by 4 equals: 41,25 Euros.
You would save about 3,75 Euros per issue or about 5 U.S. dollars.
Also, regarding favelas/slums I agree with rusty about the general fascination by architects AND tourists alike.
As for the PDF previews, there are a couple images. If you are interested in seeing larger and more images from each issue you can follow us on TWITTER or Pushpullbar(the images there are in higher resolution.) In any case, I will post a handful of images from each issue as they come out.
The problem with trying to reimagine favelas architecturally is that by doing so, you strip away its very essence and the result ends up appearing highly unauthentic.
When your conditions give you no choice but to be resourceful, pretty crazy shit can happen and there's no way of replicating this phenomenon in a design studio.
I suppose that a lack of originality is a small price to pay for relative comfort and affluence.
I agree with Rusty too! Architects tend to see places like the settlements as lacking design, lacking planning etc etc.. but in reality is quite complex.. I actually quite like the studies done by John Turner, Nabeel Hamdi etc who speak about small change and empowering the community to create their own places rather than designers! Though architecture as a part of the built fabric is important, its not the most crucial part. There're more complex social and economic structures that need to be studied and understood well before design can enter the equation... especially if the interest is in working in such differing cultures..
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