Duration
40h Th
Number of credits
| Bachelor in architecture | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course looks at the relationship between architecture and a number of fields and disciplines from 1940 to the present day and proposes a counter-reading of the dominant narratives by replacing the myth of the autonomous architect with narratives of architectural activity that can be described empirically. The aim is to explain that movements and currents do not exist in themselves, but are influenced by institutions, the economy, social organisations, bureaucracy, technological inventions and artistic practices.
This proposal follows in the footsteps of the architectural theorists Hélène Fichot and Sylvia Lavin, and will draw on a number of publications (see bibliographical references).
In this course, the following content will be covered, based on the writings of architects and architectural theorists.
* Architects during the Second World War
* The blind spot in the historiography of modern architecture
* Critical architecture and the relationship with art: Superstudio, Archizoom, etc.
* The blind spot of postmodernism
* The aestheticisation of contemporary architecture in the age of late capitalism
* Architecture and maintenance
* Architecture and gender
* Architecture in the Anthropocene era
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand the relationships between architecture (1940 to present) and the contexts of architectural production and design: historical, cultural, economic, political, social and institutional;
- Understand the limits of architecture per se, of the myth of the autonomous architect;
- Explain the dominant historiography and its counter-arguments.
- Develop a reflexive and critical view of contemporary architectural production;
- Weave links between the notions seen in class and studio projects;
- Develop a reflective architectural approach;
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course are presented in the form of interactive lectures based on reading one or two texts per week. The texts are available online. The course requires the analysis of texts in preparation for the weekly course;
Topics are presented by the teacher and supported by visual presentations (slideshows, videos, etc.) and texts;
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Blended learning
Further information:
Hybrid teaching
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Further information:
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
To supplement the course content, the instructor recommends reading 1 to 3 texts per topic covered, either before or after the session. These readings allow students to:
- deepen their understanding of the concepts and theories presented in class;
- stimulate critical thinking and discussion;
- prepare for practical work, presentations, or assessments.
1. Required readings: essential for understanding the fundamental concepts of the course.
2. Recommended readings: additional resources for broadening the analytical framework and exploring more specialized or critical perspectives.
Note: Students are encouraged to consult the recommended readings according to their interests and availability in order to enrich their personal approach to the subject.
Finally, here is a supplementary bibliography related to the course, allowing for further exploration of certain themes and broadening of academic references.
Banham, R. (1981). Theory and Design in the First Machine Age (1960; Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.
Banham, R. (1972). Los Angeles, the Architecture of Four Ecologies. Thomas S. Hines
Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians.
Blidon, M. (2016). Espace urbain. Dans : Juliette Rennes éd., Encyclopédie critique du genre (pp. 242-251). Paris: La Découverte. https://doi.org/10.3917/dec.renne.2016.01.0242"
Bonnevier, K. Behind Straight Curtains: Towards a Queer Feminist Theory of Architecture. Stockolm : Axl Books.
Castells, M. (1996). The rise of the network society. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
Clarisse, C. (2004). Cuisine, recettes d'architecture. Editions de l'Imprimeur
Cohen, J.-L. (2011). Architecture en uniforme: Projeter et construire pour la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Vanves: Hazan.
Colquhoun, Al. (2000). Modern Architecture (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2000).
Conrads, U. (1970). Programs and Manifestoes on 20thcentury Architecture (Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.
Denis, J. et David Pontille (2022). Le soin des choses. Politiques de la maintenance. Paris, La Découverte.
Faure, E., Hernández González, E., & Luxembourg, C. (Eds.). (2017). La ville, quel genre?: L'espace public à l'épreuvre du genre. Le Temps des Cerises.
Foster, H. (2001). Postmodern culture. London: Pluto Press.
Frichot, H., Gabrielsson, C., & Runting, H. (Eds.). (2018). Architecture and feminisms: Ecologies, economies, technologies. Routledge.
Helene Fichot. (n.d.). Dirty Theory: Troubling Architecture.
Heynen, H. (2007). L'inscription du genre dans l'architecture. Perspective, 4, 693-708. https://doi.org/10.4000/perspective.3575Hirst, P. (2005). Space and Power: Politics, War and Architecture. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Jameson, F. (2012). Le postmodernisme, ou, La logique culturelle du capitalisme tardif. Paris: Beaux-Arts de Paris
Jameson, F. (1983). Architecture et critique de l'idéologie ». in Gintz, C. (1983). Territoires 3. Paris: Éditions Territoires.
Jameson, F. (1988). "Periodizing the 60s", in The Ideologies of Theory: Essays 1971-1986. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Jencks, C. (1987). The language of post-modern architecture. London: Academy Editions
Joselit, D. (2012). After Art: The Object in Networks. Point: Essays on Architecture.¿
Koolhaas, R.(1995). S, M, L, XL. New York: Monacelli Press.
Krauss, R. (2007). L'originalité de l'avant-garde et autres mythes modernistes. Paris: Macula.
Lavin, S. (2020). Architecture Itself and Other Postmodernist Effects. Spector Books
McLeod, M. (1983). Architecture or Revolution: Taylorism, Technocracy, and Social Change, Art Journal Vol. 43, No. 2.
Lefèbvre, H. (1981). The Production of Space. Wiley-Blackwell Print.
Madden, D. J. & Marcuse, P. (2016). In defense of housing: The politics of crisis. Verso Books,
Mosconi, N., Paoletti, M. & Raibaud, Y. (2015). Le genre, la ville. Travail, genre et sociétés, 33, 23-28. https://doi.org/10.3917/tgs.033.0023
Mumford, E. (2000). The CIAM Discourse on Urbanism, 1928-1960. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.
Ockman, Joan ed. (1993). Architecture Culture 1943-1968: A Documentary Anthology. New York: Columbia Books on Architecture/Rizzoli.
Paquot, T-C. Younès. (2005). Géométrie, mesure du monde. Philosophie, architecture, urbain, Paris.
Portoghesi, P. (1982). After Modern Architecture Planning and cities. Rizzoli.
Raibaud, Y. (2015). Durable mais inégalitaire : la ville. Travail, genre et sociétés, 33, 29-47. https://doi.org/10.3917/tgs.033.0029
Rendell, J. (2007). Critical architecture. London: Routledge.
Sadler, S. (1998). The Situationist City. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.¿
Sklair, L. (2001). The transnational capitalist class. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Tafuri, M. (1976). Théories et histoire de l'architecture. Paris: Sadg.
Tummers, L. (2015). Stéréotypes de genre dans la pratique de l'urbanisme. Travail, genre et sociétés, 33, 67-83. https://doi.org/10.3917/tgs.033.0067Vallerand, O. (2016). Regards queers sur l'architecture : une remise en question des approches identitaires de l'espace. Captures, 1(1).https://doi.org/10.7202/1059828a
Venturi, R., Scott, B. D., & Izenour, S. (2014). L'Enseignement de Las Vegas. Bruxelles: Mardaga.
Vidler, A. (ed.) (2008). Architecture Between Spectacle and Use. Sterling
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire )
Further information:
First exam assessment: multiple-choice exam (100%)
Second exam assessment: multiple-choice exam (100%)
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The course will be given in face-to-face and eventually online.
Specific dates, times and locations are provided via CELCAT and may vary.
The ULiege email will be the preferred communication tool with the course instructor. It is on this platform that the various documents and teaching resources (slides) will be posted.
As a change of location or schedule is possible, students are required to consult CELCAT regularly as well as their email box.
Contacts
Eric Le Coguiec, professor
eric.lecoguiec@uliege.be
Justine Gloesener, teaching assistant
Justine.Gloesener@uliege.be