Ephemerality and Architecture, Architectural Publication, Historical Concept

Ephemerality and Architecture

Architectural Book – MOINOPOLIS Issue No. 2

6 Aug 2013

Historical Concept of Architecture Publication

Editors: Lionel Eid, Deniza Radulova and Radostina Radulova

MOINOPOLIS Issue Number Two

image : MOINOPOLIS

Ephemerality and Architecture Book

The historical concept of architecture as described by Vitruvius in De architectura identifies ‘durability’ as one of the three principles for good buildings. The term itself derives etymologically from the Ancient Greek word architékton. Here, the ambiguous word techné can be described as art, technology or tectonics, the science of structure, which implies ideas of weight, stability and durability.

Conversely, when we look at certain trends in architecture – for instance at the last Architectural Biennale in Venice curated by Kazuyo Sejima, it is striking that many of the exhibited projects – Junya Ishigami’s “Architecture as air”, Raumlaborberlin’s “Kitchen Monument, The Generator”, “Cloudscapes” from Transsolar, or Olafur Eliasson’s “Your split second house” to name a few, are dealing with the absence of physical matter; with qualities of airiness and ephemerality.

More recently, the architectural profession finds itself in a condition of deep recession and, according to market forces, architects are able to build less. As a result, the practice has shifted towards projects of more temporary, transient or non-conventional building forms. This has proved to be a new, experimental playground for architects – an opportunity to re-invent their profession.

Editors: Lionel Eid, Deniza Radulova and Radostina Radulova

Table of contents

02 –
Editorial
Lionel Eid, Radostina Radulova

05 –
The Accelerated Ruin
Nicholas McDermott

10 –
On the Ephemeral Condition
Mathew Hinds, Poppy Taylor

16 –
Empty Lot – A Liminal State of Architecture
Marija Maric

24 –
Light spaces
Wolfgang Rand, Jürgen Hasse

30 –
You Can Imagine the Opposite – Terminological Reflections on
Ephemeral Architecture
Kathrin Golda-Pongratz

40 –
Shim Sukkah
David Getty

46 –
Pop-up Architectures
Radostina Radulova

53 –
Colophon

Ephemerality and Architecture information / images from MOINOPOLIS