SARCHA WISHES that MAKE SENSE

“Happy Holidays from Palestine” 

An Image by Banksy received as a Christmas wishes card 

from architect Yousef Khatib 

our SARCHA associate in Palestine.

An impossible collaboration: SARCHA and the UTT_ETH Re-activate Athens

“…it would be in the best interest of SARCHA and its associates to remain committed to its constitutional aim: to research the impact of the political on architecture and city conditions and experiment with research topics that seek to imaging the possibility of self-government and the in common reassembling of the cities (the city of Athens in particular). This is far removed from the ‘third way’ (Karl Marx with Milton Friedman) approach [Alfredo Brillembourg UTT, ETH] presented in [his] opening talk [22/10/2013] as the overall vision for the ‘Re-activating - 101 ideas for Athens’.” 

This is an excerpt from the letter sent to the ETH Chair of Architecture and Urban Design and Urban Think Tank (UTT) director prof.  A. Brillemburg, following discussions for a possible collaboration of SARCHA in the Re-activating Athens UTT_ETH project. (full text further below).

IMPORTANT: Listen to the panel discussion at the DEMOS London Event and see the Submitted Ideas at www.demos.sarcha.gr   We have expected to bring DEMOS to a next stage through the Re-activate Athens; this was a reason for entering into discussions with the UTT_ETH. However, DEMOS could not fit into the logic of the ‘101 ideas for the city’. SARCHA is looking for other ways and collaborations to take DEMOS at its next stage and we shall keep you informed.

From: SARCHA [mailto:info@sarcha.gr]
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2013 4:37 PM
To: 'ALFREDO BRILLEMBOURG'
Subject: SARCHA and the AUTT_ETH programme

Dear Alfredo,

Following our last week’s conversation on the phone and in an attempt to find a way to collaborate, a SARCHA team attended the UTT_ETH presentation in Athens, and our representative participated at brainstorming meetings in the following day.

From our representative’s report we understood that SARCHA’s input in the re-activating Athens programme strictly concerns a collaborative drafting / implementing / processing of questionnaires for all areas of the project and a kind of secretarial/event organizer role within the HSAP building.

We very much understand the value of questionnaires, which require highly specialized knowledge and painstaking work. However, SARCHA does not have any special interest in drafting questionnaires in general -unless related to targeted and intensively studied city areas.  On the other hand, it would have been highly problematic to undertake a role of ‘service provider’ as event organizer within the HSAP building; SARCHA takes up this role only for events closely related to its research programme. 

SARCHA members of committees discussed in length and with much consideration the information provided by our representative. They concluded that it would be in the best interest of SARCHA and its associates to remain committed to its constitutional aim: to research the impact of the political on architecture and city conditions and experiment with research topics that seek to imaging the possibility of self-government and the in common reassembling of the cities (the city of Athens in particular). This is far removed from the ‘third way’ (Karl Marx with Milton Friedman) approach you presented in your opening talk [22/10/2013] as the overall vision for the “Re-activating - 101 ideas for Athens”. It is rather ‘unchartered waters’ that SARCHA is opting for and this seems to sit uncomfortably with already existing models to be transplanted / re-applied to Athens.  

Following so many months of discussions and exchange and now that the brief of AUTT_ETH starts to take shape, it seems clear that SARCHA’s position and vision is of another type.  As clearly formulated in our draft contact, our input can be included in your project only as a case apart, as independent work. We understand that this cannot be accepted and thus unfortunately no collaboration can ensue.

We hope we have the chance to discuss in length this divergence of ideas which SARCHA considers it could enrich the UTT_ETH project.

All the best

On behalf of SARCHA

Dr Maria Theodorou

The names of members of SARCHA’s committees can be found at http://sarcha.gr/About.aspx

DEMOS: thought-provoking presentation/discussion of Ideas in London

In the image above, invited guests discuss the “Intensified, layered ‘court’ scenario for Kotzia square, Athens”. The proposal drafted by Friedrich Grafling AADpl (Hon) was one among the 15 thought-provoking submissions at the Demos_by Sarcha call for ideas that were presented and discussed at the Westminster Law and Theory Center, London yesterday (28/6/2013). The discussion has been recorded and is to be prepared (enriched with visual material of all entries) and uploaded at www.demos.sarcha.gr  in the coming weeks.
We are grateful to our steady strategic patner in London the Westminster Law and Theory Center and its co-directors Dr Julia Chryssostalis and prof Andreas Philippopoulos- Mihalopoulos, for hosting the event and indebted to discussant guests: N. Boyarsky, T. Stoppani, J. Chryssostalis, B. Hatton, N. Matziounis, J. Andrews, M. Smith, T. Hoshino, who accepted our invitation to review the entries.
Many thanks to all 15 teams and individual participants (see below) who have sent their ideas and provided the material for a stimulating and productive exchange among discussant guests associates and friends. All entries will be uploaded at www.demos.sarcha.gr (submission section) by early July 2013.
Names of participants- titles of entries:
George Sachinis - UrbanDig Project / Cristiano Lippa, Fabiano Micocci, Lorenzo Scarpetti (Near Architecture) - The thickness of commons / Friedrich Grafling AADpl (Hon) - Intensified, layered ‘court’ scenario for Kotzia square, Athens / Point Supreme – Kotzia Square / Vanda Chalyvopoulou, Andreas Kargsten – Democracy’s Cage / Dora Gkiola, Anna Kaouri, Katerina Giokari – Public Flows / Irini-Aimilia Ioannidou, Eleftherios Ambatzis – Open-projected Theater / Petros Stoumpos – An alternative way to protest / Vasia Angeli (MA Interior Design) – Interweaving Layers / Matika Christina, Paravoliasis Manos – Kotzia Square a new public play-garden for Athens Town Hall / Louisa Varelidi, Stella Papazoglou –Stair-eographing kotzia square / Nanchen Jiang MArch – The Wall of Choices / Anh Dung TA – Tactical Kotzia / Aristotelis Dimitrakopoulos Aristotheke Eutectonics – City Hole / Larry Cool poet – In Silence the World Starts Anew (See below three out of the 15 entries)

 

 

DEMOS@LFA2013 Presentation/Discussion 28/6_4.30-6.30

www.demos.sarcha.gr

Dear associates and friends

Join the

DEMOS Presentation/Discussion

Friday 28 June, 4.30-6.30pm

at the Westminster Forum

The University of Westminster, 32-38 Wells Street, London W1T 3UW http://goo.gl/maps/MhGHy

Get the chance to review the ideas submitted

at the DEMOS by SARCHA open call

and discuss with associates, participants and invited guests

the potential of ‘words, structures and forms’

to bring forth the transformative power of city inhabitants and enhance their involvement in city matters and self- government.

Among our confirmed Invited Guests: Nicholas Boyarsky, Teresa Stoppani, Julia Chryssostalis, Brian Hatton, Nikolaos Matziounis, John Andrews, Mark Smith, Tak Hoshino, Paulina Tambakaki. All guests’ names will be announced by Wednesday June 26, 2013 in the events section at www.demos.sarcha.gr

The discussion is organised by SARCHA and its Strategic Partner in London: The Westminster Law and Theory Centre in the context of LFA2013
http://www.londonarchitecturediary.com/event.php?id=3864

LFA2013_DEMOS by SARCHA_Call for Ideas

SARCHA launches an open call for DEMOS

An ideas only competition open to architects and non architects alike to

imaging/design/describe the connection of the Athens Town Hall

with the adjacent Kotzia square in ways that

bring forth the transformative power of city inhabitants and enhance their involvement in city matters and self- government.

Experiment with the potential of reassembling the city ‘in common’

Draft your proposal in just one A3 form and e-mail it at demos.sarcha.@gmail.com

by Monday June 24, 2013 DEADLINE

See details at www.demos.sarcha.gr

All submissions will be presented and discussed in a three hours event in London in the context of the London Festival of Architecture (LFA2013) at the end of June. http://www.londonfestivalofarchitecture.org/

please forward this call to those interested to participate

****

Η SARCHA απευθύνει ανοικτή πρόσκληση για υποβολή ιδεών με θέμα ΔΗΜΟΣ

και προσκαλεί αρχιτέκτονες και μη, να σχεδιάσουν/ απεικονίσουν /περιγράψουν τη σύνδεση του Δημαρχείου της Αθήνας με την παρακείμενη πλατεία Κοτζιά με τρόπο που να ενισχύει την δύναμη των κατοίκων για μετασχηματισμό της πόλης τους μέσω της εμπλοκής τους στα ζητήματα του δήμου και της ανάπτυξης της δυνατότητας αυτό-κυβέρνησης

Πειραματιστείτε με την δυνατότητα επανα-συνάθροιση της πόλης ‘από κοινού’ και

συντάξετε την πρόταση που θα υποβάλλετε σε ένα Α3 με ε-μαιλ στη διεύθυνση demos.sarcha.@gmail.com  

μέχρι τη Δευτέρα 24 Ιουνίου 2013 ΠΡΟΘΕΣΜΙΑ

Δείτε λεπτομέρειες www.demos.sarcha.gr

Όλες οι προτάσεις που θα υποβληθούν θα παρουσιαστούν σε μια τρίωρη συζήτηση στο τέλος Ιουνίου στο πλαίσιο του Φεστιβάλ του Λονδίνου (LFA2013) http://www.londonfestivalofarchitecture.org/  

προωθείστε αυτή την πρόσκληση σε όσους νομίζετε ενδιαφέρονται να συμμετάσχουν

SARCHA facebook page launched

 

https://www.facebook.com/SchoolOfAchitectureForAll  

SARCHA has launched its facebook page on May 16, 2013

Please visit for LIKES and COMMENTS  

Partisan Peripateia + LFA2013 SARCHA Meeting 25/4

Dear associates and friends

It would be a pleasure to see you at the SARCHA meeting tomorrow

Thursday 25 April 2013, 18.00-20.00

at the new Acropolis Museum café

(note: entrance to the café is open – no need to pay for a ticket)

Meeting topics
1. SARCHA’s participation at the London Festival of Architecture LFA2013 following invitation by the British Council in London
2. A Partisan Peripateia: a new Athens itinerary to be planned in collaboration with www.maydayrooms.org
3. Update on recent activities: the submission of the “Urbanism in an Age of Austerity” proposal http://www.sarcha-architecture.blogspot.gr/2013/02/urbanism-in-age-of-austerity-proposal.html  and the visiting Architecture school from the University of Western Australia (UWA) http://www.sarcha-architecture.blogspot.gr/2013/02/university-of-western-australia-uwa.html

Αγαπητοί συμμέτοχοι και φίλοι

Θα ήταν χαρά μας να σας δούμε στη συνάντηση της SARCHA αύριο

Πέμπτη 25 Απριλίου 2012 στις 18.00-20.00

στο καφέ του Νέου Μουσείου Ακρόπολης

(σημειώστε ότι η πρόσβαση στο καφέ είναι ανοικτή δεν χρειάζεστε εισιτήριο)

Θέματα συζήτησης
1. Η συμμετοχή της SARCHA στο Φεστιβάλ Αρχιτεκτονικής του Λονδίνου LFA2013 σε συνέχεια πρόσκλησης του Βρετανικού Συμβουλίου στο Λονδίνο
2. A Partisan Peripateia: μια νέα διαδρομή της Αθήνας που σχεδιάζεται σε συνεργασία με www.maydayrooms.org
3. Ενημέρωση για πρόσφατες δραστηριότητες: Υποβολή του ευρωπαϊκού προγράμματος «Η πολεοδομία στην εποχή της Δημοσιονομικής Λιτότητας» http://www.sarcha-architecture.blogspot.gr/2013/02/urbanism-in-age-of-austerity-proposal.html και η συνεργασία με την αρχιτεκτονική σχολή του Πανεπιστημίου Δυτικής Αυστραλίας(UWA) http://www.sarcha-architecture.blogspot.gr/2013/02/university-of-western-australia-uwa.html

‘Urbanism in an Age of Austerity’ proposal submitted

Following a fourth months productive collaboration among EU and international partners, the ‘Urbanism in an Age of Austerity’ proposal was submitted to the EC on January 31, 2013. (See more at http://www.sarcha-architecture.blogspot.gr/2012/10/urbanism-in-age-of-austerity-uaaahrc.html ).

A dedicated SARCHA team worked in difficult weather conditions in Athens, since most of the buildings had no central heating this year due to austerity measures.(see photo).

We expect to hear from the EC at the end of spring; If successful the proposal will run for 42 months (see above time-diagram) and open calls for the involvement of SARCHA associates will be launched accordingly and in due time.

University of Western Australia (UWA) visiting school photo

SARCHA’s CCR_Athens Gerani pilot study CCR_Athens_booklet_ EN2012_SARCHA provided the background material for the two months (Jan-Feb 2013) travelling design studio in which 23 architecture students from the University of Western Australia (UWA) worked to address significant issues in the urban organization of Athens. Under the joint direction of UWA’s Associate Professor Nigel Westbrook and the architect Ms Kalliope Kontozoglou, (a SARCHA associate and member of the advisory board http://www.sarcha.gr/About.aspx ), the students produced imaginative proposals. See also previous post at  http://sarcha-architecture.blogspot.gr/2013/01/sarcha-university-of-western-australia.html

Richard Sennett & SARCHA on City and Citizenship

City and Citizenship

Sarcha in Conversation with Richard Sennett

Following an invitation by the Onassis Cultural Center, SARCHA will be in conversation with the American sociologist Richard Sennett on the topic ‘City and Citizenship’ on Monday January 21, 19.00-21.00, at the Onassis Cultural Centre, 107-109 Syngrou Avenue, 117 45 Athens

free admission / live steaming at www.sgt.gr  /see more at http://www.sgt.gr/gr/programme/event/992  

^^^^^^^

Πόλη και Πολίτες

Η Sarcha συνομιλεί με τον Richard Sennett

Σε συνέχεια πρόσκλησης από τη Στέγη Γραμμάτων και Τεχνών - Ίδρυμα Ωνάση, η SARCHA θα συνομιλήσει με τον Αμερικανό κοινωνιολόγο Richard Sennett με θέμα ‘Πόλη και Πολίτες’ τη Δευτέρα, 21 Ιανουαρίου 2013, 19.00-21.00, Στέγη Γραμμάτων και Τεχνών, Ίδρυμα Ωνάση, Λεωφ. Συγρού 107-109, Αθήνα

Είσοδος Ελεύθερη / Ζωντανή μετάδοση www.sgt.gr  /πληρ. http://www.sgt.gr/gr/programme/event/992

Istanbul & Copenhagen - SARCHA Vasilopita Talks 2013

Istanbul & Copenhagen Vasilopita (new year’s pie) Talks

 sharing ‘Food for Thought’

This year SARCHA is sharing ‘Food for Thought’ by combining the traditional vasilopita (new year’s pie) with two talks by invited speakers, on Wednesday January 23, 2013, 18.30-21.30 at the Finish Institute Hostel at Ioannou Soutsou 25, 11474, GYZI Athens.

• 18.30-19.00: Panorama of Istanbul

by Nigel Westbrook, Ass.Prof. Faculty of Architecture, (UWA)

• 19.00-19.30:The Freetown and the New Town in Copenhagen

by Signe Sophie Bøggild, MA & MPhil, freelance researcher

• 19.30-20.00: discussion with our Australian (UWA) visiting architecture students

• 20.00-21.00: vasilopita & wishes sharing

I

MPORTANT see below a map of this venue  

Κων/πολη & Κοπεγχάγη- Συν-Ομιλίες Βασιλόπιτας

‘Τροφή για Σκέψη’

Αυτό το χρόνο η SARCHA μοιράζεται μαζί σας ‘Τροφή για Σκέψη’ συνδυάζοντας την παραδοσιακή βασιλόπιτα με δύο παρουσιάσεις/συζητήσεις με προσκεκλημένους ομιλητές, την Τετάρτη 23 Ιανουαρίου 2013, 18.30-21.30 στον Ξενώνα του Φιλανδικού Ινστιτούτου, Ιωάννου Σούτσου 25, 11474 ΓΚΥΖΗ Αθήνα

• 18.30-19.00: Πανόραμα Κωνσταντινούπολης
από τον Nigel Westbrook, Ass. Prof. Faculty of Architecture, (UWA)
• 19.00-19.30:Η Η Ελεύθερη Πόλη και η Νέα Πόλη στην Κοπεγχάγη
από την Signe Sophie Bøggild, MA & MPhil, freelance researcher
• 19.30-20.00: Συζήτηση με τους Αυστραλούς επισκέπτες φοιτητές αρχιτεκτονικής (UWA)
• 20.00-21.00: μοίρασμα βασιλόπιτας και ευχών

ΣΗΜΑΝΤΙΚΟ Δείτε στο χάρτη παραπάνω τον τόπο αυτής της εκδήλωσης στο Γκύζη

SARCHA & University of Western Australia (UWA) on PERaTHens

Continuing its visiting school programme inaugurated in 2012 with postgraduate architecture students from London Bartlett UCL http://www.sarcha-architecture.blogspot.gr/2012/09/beyond-constraints-of-reality-sarcha-at.html  and Newcastle University http://www.sarcha-architecture.blogspot.gr/2012/11/salvagingscavanging-athens.html 

SARCHA starts 2013 with a smash

PERTH_Australia and ATHENS_Greece collide in

PERaTHens

 SARCHA welcomes undergraduate students of the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Visual Arts of the University of Western Australia (UWA) http://www.alva.uwa.edu.au/  

The two months (Jan-Feb 2013) travelling design studio is intended as a collaborative project in association with SARCHA during which students will address significant issues in the urban organization of Athens under the joint direction of UWA’s Associate Professor Nigel Westbrook and the architect Ms Kalliope Kontozoglou, a SARCHA associate and member of the advisory board  http://www.sarcha.gr/About.aspx 

NOTE: A meeting of Australian guests with SARCHA’s associates and friends will be organised by the end of January. Info on place and time will be uploaded at SARCHA’s blog in due time