8 June: Public Event
The symposium will start with a special event, a half-day public seminar for both symposium participants and practitioners in the field, focusing on the importance of space syntax for architectural practice.
Space syntax as a field of research has an unusual strong relation to practice and over the years knowledge produced in the field has not only proven possible to apply in architectural practice but generated a special architectural competence. Several commercial offices around the world, such as Space Syntax Limited in London and Spacescape in Stockholm, have been able to establish themselves as trusted consultants applying space syntax generated knowledge in real architectural and planning projects.
The day is set in the wider context of a discussion on architectural knowledge in the future. What will be asked of architects in twenty years time, how will architects keep and develop their credibility in future competition, what will be decisive for future competitive architecture. Cutting edge examples from practice will be presented as well as reflections on the subject from invited guests.
Program
1. Key Note-speaches.
As a background to the conference theme leading speakers from both design practice and design theory are invited to give a 30 minute speach on the topic: ”What will be the architect’s competitive edge in the future”. The invited have both give first notice that they are willing to come and are:
- Jean Nouvel, Ateliers Nouvel (FR)
- Erik Stolterman, Indiana University (USA)
2. Space Syntax in Architectural Practice
Giving concrete examples on how the latest in architectural research can articulate and strengthen architectural pracitce the worlds leading space syntax consultants will present original projects conducted in cooperation with architects, planners, real estate companies and developers.
- Tim Stonor, Space Syntax Limited (
- Alexander Ståhle,
3. Debate
The theme is after this open to a broader forum where all the European architects offices taking part in the current Slussen-competition are invited together with other guests to discuss the future challenges for the architectural competence.
The Slussen architectural competition is an example of a knowledge dense project of highest international standard dealing with issues in both architecture and urban design and will work as a background and concrete example to the discussion.
The invited offices have most of them already given positive answers to their attendance and are:
- Foster and partners (UK)
- Ateliers Nouvel (FR)
- BIG (DK)
- Nyréns (SE)
- Wingårdhs (SE)
The afternoon is free for all participants in the symposium and will be open to the professional public, such as architects, planners, policymakers, real estate companies and builders, for a fee. The afternoon ends with refreshments, music and the possibility to exchange thoughts between architectural theory and practice
Examples from Space Syntax Analysis of Slussen
The day will have the most complex architectural and planning project in Stockholm as point of departure: Slussen. The city has for this project commissioned extensive space syntax analyses as support for the areas redevelopment. These analyses are now background material for the architectural competition taking place with invited guests.
Control values from Depthmap on one of the proposals for Slussen, including all levels.
Local integration for the axial system of Slussen as it is today.
The axial system of the other proposal for Slussen, with the different colours showing the different levels.
