Lara Schrijver - Böcker

Lara Schrijver examines the work of Oswald Mathias Ungers and Rem Koolhaas as intellectual legacy of the 1970s for architecture today. Particularly in the United States, this period focused on the autonomy of architecture as a correction to the social orientation of the 1960s. Yet, these two architects pioneered a more situated autonomy, initiating an intellectual discourse on architecture that was inherently design-based. Their work provides room for interpreting social conditions and disciplinary formal developments, thus constructing a `plausible' relationship between the two that allows the life within to flourish and adapt. In doing so, they provide a foundation for recalibrating architecture today.

The influence and position of the ‘Generation 74’ in Flemish and international architecture. Five well-known architects who studied together in Ghent, Marie-José Van Hee, Christian Kieckens, Marc Dubois, Paul Robbrecht and Hilde Daem, can be considered as leading protagonists of their generation. From their education at Sint-Lucas Institute and the Academy of Fine Arts to the present day, their professional careers and legacy have been of great importance to the development of Flemish architecture. In their early works and writings, they established a distinct architectural language, rooted in historical knowledge and with a reflection to art and craftsmanship. Architecture was singled out as a spatial phenomenon with an autonomous logic grounded in inhabitation and experience. This generation represents a significant turn towards architectural autonomy in Flanders which resonated with similar international developments in the late 1970s. Moreover they played a decisive role in the emancipation and professionalization of the architectural culture in Flanders. This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content). Contributors: Birgit Cleppe (Ghent University), Sofie De Caigny (CVAa), Maarten Delbeke (Ghent University), Fredie Floré (KU Leuven / Ghent University), William Mann, Yves Schoonjans (KU Leuven), Eireen Schreurs (TU Delft), Lara Schrijver (University of Antwerp), Dirk Somers (Ghent University), Sven Sterken (KU Leuven), Mechthild Stuhlmacher (TU Delft), Hera van Sande (VUB / KU Leuven), Katrien Vandermarliere, Caroline Voet (KU Leuven) With statements of Kristoffel Boghaert, Patrick Van Caeckenbergh, Adam Caruso, Els Claessens and Tania Vandenbussche, An Fonteyne, Tony Fretton, Pieter D’haeseleer, Hilde Heynen, Cristina Iglesias, Francis Strauven, Peter Swinnen, Koen Van Synghel, Paul Vermeulen, Jacques De Visscher.