History of Belgian architecture in the 20th century

Duration

40h Th

Number of credits

Lecturer

Maurizio Cohen

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

This course presents the evolution of architecture in Belgium from the emergence of Art Nouveau until the end of the century through the different currents that characterized the production, the most significant achievements, the outstanding figures, the reference texts and publications. The discipline of architecture is the main subject and it is exhibited also appealing to urban and territorial issues, as well as interior architecture and furniture, industrial design, illustration and representation. The subject is approached according to a chronological principle, taking into account the contexts that surround each era: economy and politics, social transformations and cultural orientations. Particular emphasis is given to questions of techniques and implementations, to theoretical debates, to changes in the profession of architect. The course illustrates the relations with international architecture, the links and exchanges with other realities and currents. We also discuss the shift in the last decades of the twentieth century, which took place from a national architecture with local accents towards regionalization.
* Art Nouveau and its main figures. * The context of the 1910s, between war and change. * Reconstruction and pre-war legacies. Hesitations and radicalities. * Journals, schools and manifestos. International avant-garde and aspirations. * Modernity, regionalism and Art Deco. * Garden cities, social housing and apartment buildings. * Modern movement, nationalism and a return to order. * International and universal exhibitions. Urban and architectural laboratories. * 1938 - 1948. Before, during and after the war. * New modernity and the persistence of the past. * The Church as the engine of modernity. * Expo 58. How to miss a Universal Exhibition. * 1945 - 1970. A season of discreet poets. Domestic architecture. * Public architecture, civil engineering and territorial regulations. * Scattered modernity. Between urban struggles and new trends. * Years 80/90. The architecture of uncertainty. * The end of Belgian architecture. Flanders and the French community. Themes and figures of a forced separation. * Who is afraid of architecture? Between Biennials, cultural institutions and the absence of politics. * Around 2000. New generations, new energies.
The questions proposed by the axes of reflection (sustainability, art, society, digital) are encountered as they appear in the chronology of events and architectural trends mentioned.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

With this course, students should acquire knowledge of the relevant period in the history of architecture in Belgium, be able to create links with the global history of architecture, have knowledge of the themes and questions that animated the last century in particular all those which concern the evolution of architectural practice and the mutations of the territory and the urban landscape

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Knowledge of general courses in architectural history, architectural theory, town planning and art.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

  Ex-cathedra courses + Seminars

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face (if the sanitary measures allow it)

Organisational adjustments related to the current health context

Recommended or required readings

Texts and bibliographical references will be sent with all the images projected during the lessons.

Assessment methods and criteria

Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.

  Written questionnaire + writing work

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

mauriziocohen@skynet.be

Items online