Pavillon de l'Arsenal in Paris: (Un)City - (Un)Real State of the (Un)Known

 

 

(Un)City – (Un)Real State of the (Un)Known lays down the city as a subject of thought and talk; the city adressed through its constituting multiple realities, the city perceived as heritage as well as project-in-becoming, the city envisaged by superposition, interweaving and sedimentation of singular layers.

 

The proposal brings together 100 architectural projects. As a proposal between fact and fiction, it assembles a collection of emblematic buildings and urban situations found in the city of Brussels, commented in a book and congregated on a large 4 m x 4 m model. The model is constructed from situations that existed, exist or could have existed. Shaped as an imaginary territory, it brings together past, present and prospective projects: Brussels' Palace of Justice, the Cinquantenaire Monument, Victor Horta's Maison du Peuple, the Pavillon du Bonheur designed by architects V+, the National Theatre, an utopian project by Luc Deleu and the Glaverbel headquarter in La Hulpe, among others. In short, a brief history of architecture illustrated by different elements, each constituting a 'prototype' for the city. In doing so, it pulls open the drawers of history, takes out the projects and observes them as a unique specimen, even though they belong to a species that is more widespread in the city.

 

By proposing an alternative reconfiguration of these projects on the model, the aim, on the one hand, is to put the focus on the void between the architectures built - the space between the laid out volumes – revealing as it does the existence of new relationships between the elements, and, on the other hand, to explore the idea that everyone builds their own experience of the city - a sensitive, personal and unique cartography, even an intimate mythology.

 

The work of many architects working in Belgium contributes to the ever-changing construction of this city, including: AgwA, a practice., Architectes associés, Baukunst, Georges-Eric Lantair, JDS, Label architecture, Ledroit-Pierret-Polet, L'Escaut, Lhoas & Lhoas,Nicolas Firket – NFA, Pierre Blondel, Pierre Hebbelinck, Rotor, V+ Vers + de bien-être, Vanden Eeckhoudt Creyf…

 

The model was conceived in collaboration with and realized by WRKSHP Collectif & Paul Mouchet, with great support from Ignacio Plaza and help from Pauline Danhaive, Pacome Godinot, Iman Homa, Nora Kasa-Vubu, Deborah Levy, Lo Matar, Quentin Velghe and Antoine Wang.

 

The publication designed by Salutpublic presents, on the one hand, the 100 projects for the model - a photo/drawing and a short text that puts the project into its Brussels context. This new edition includes photographies of the model realized by Maxime Delvaux.

 

 

The first one will take place during the opening on November 4th at 7 PM, with Sébastien Marot, Cédric Libert and Olivier Bastin.

 

 

It will be moderated by Rafaël Magrou (teatcher, independant curator and journalist) and Brent Patterson (teacher at l'Ecole Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris). Seven Belgian architects will present their book: Dithyrambes, (Re)nouveaux Plaisirs d'Architecture #3 (CIVA & ULB) by Jean-Didier Bergilez, XX Models. Young Belgian Architecture (Bozar Architecture/A+) by Marie-Cécile Guyaux, L'Equerre (Editions Fourre-Tout) by Pierre Hebbelinck, Clara (Mardaga & Université Libre de Bruxelles) by Judith le Maire, Architectures Wallonie-Bruxelles. Inventaires #1 2010-2013 (FWB & WBA) by Deborah Levy for orthodoxe, (Un)City – (Un)Real State of the (Un)Known #2  (FWB &WBA) by Cédric Libert and Pédagogie de l'espace, workshops (FWB) by Jean-François Pirson.