W.A.Ve. Summer Architecture Workshop. 2017 “Syria/the making of the future” ended on July 14, after 3 weeks. Promoted by the Iuav University of Venice, it is dedicated to the reconstruction of Syria.
The initiative involved 26 industry professionals and teachers from 16 countries, besides over 1300 students who met experts in the conservation of cultural heritage, architecture and urban planning, humanitarian emergencies and Middle Eastern culture.
At the end of the workshop, the international jury chaired by Farrokh Derakshani – director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture – selected and awarded the best projects by students. 26 were the areas of analysis, ranging from the reconstruction of entire parts of the city to Aleppo or Damascus districts.
“There are no massive reconstruction projects, starting from the belief that they often did more damages than anything else. In many cases, these are slight interventions –IUAV Dean Alberto Ferlenga explains – to renovate parks, public spaces, aiming at social life and identity reconstruction by involving the community. Most of the presented proposals bring the population at the center, so as to provide architectural models that can be managed by each individual family or community. The young architects become process-directors that involve the populations: this model is different than a massive government-based reconstruction – Ferlenga continues - which generally gives results after 20-30 years, which are then often outdated for modern lifestyles”.
The panel has therefore awarded projects that favor the reuse of materials and spaces and the enhancement of the existing ones. “The theme of rubble and ruin as matter and complement for reconstruction. The tabula rasa does not fascinate and it is a matter of economy, of not wasting. Reuse but also sustainability, environmental respect. The only advantage of reconstruction, for example, allows you to think about spaces that were not there: parks, gardens”, the Dean concludes.
In this context, the exhibition with the final results of the workshop was also inaugurated; it can be visited at the headquarters of the Cotonificio and the former Magazzini Ligabue, now workshop open to the public and the city.