De-Coding Amsterdam - Städelschule Rundgang 2015

'Advanced Architecture Design' (AAD) at the Städelschule in Frankfurt promotes a design driven discourse of the changing role of the architect to define new fields and conditions of work. “Value Formation” is the theme of AAD 2015, and the initial phase 'De-Coding Amsterdam', focusses on a city valuation study and was recently presented at the Städelschule Rundgang 2015.

The scope of the undertakings in AAD lies, on one side, in the resultant training in and discussion of an elaborated design methodology, and on the other, in implemented research on topics in urbanism, architecture theory, science and technology. The basis for both research and design methodology is the reading of the city and its buildings as relational and intricate systems. The investigation of interdependencies of form, structure, programme, context and material, enable the consideration of an inner logic of complexity, relativity and multiplicity.

In 'De-Coding Amsterdam' the AAD students investigate phenomena of such urban systems and their effects on building and living environments. Detailed analyses of spatial, infrastructural, social, cultural and economic influences on the city of Amsterdam are addressed and raise questions about the potentials of a critical re-development of the city.

Using a large scale projection, an exploration of form and video in the Rundgang exhibition by the AAD group, the students presented a variety of impressions and observations of the city of Amsterdam that enable an unconventional reading of the city beyond the expectation of well-known stereotypes. The over-layering of a diverse selection of media centrally placed the development of possible architectural strategies in the field of interdependencies of the city’s ecology, its inhabitants and its architecture.

The video-installation reflects some of the research aspects discovered in the current investigation and form the base of the design project for Amsterdam in the coming semester.

VIDEO

Städelschule, Frankfurt
Dean: Ben van Berkel
Advanced Architectural Design (AAD)
Guest Professor: Christian Veddeler
Students: Anirudh Rajdev Krishnadas, Bi Han, Marquez Colby, Shiraz Cheriya Parambath, Henrik Irminger Thomassen, Yelta Köm, Yorgui George Khawam