THE ARCHITECTURES OF CATALOGS | THE CATALOGS OF ARCHITECTURES

THE ARCHITECTURES OF CATALOGS | THE CATALOGS OF ARCHITECTURES

THE ARCHITECTURES  OF CATALOGS | THE CATALOGS OF ARCHITECTURES
4th Candide Conference organized by the RWTH Aachen University Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architectural Theory
 
Scientific committee: Prof. Axel Sowa, Dr. -Ing. Andrea Alberto Dutto, Ibai Rigby
 
Conference venue: Gästehaus der RWTH Aachen Melatener Straße 31, 52074 Aachen
 
 Catalogs produce multiplicities, and, at the same time, these multiplicities contribute to building catalogs. Even though catalogs are widely mentioned in books and manuals of architectural history, specific studies still need to be more systematic. The purpose of this conference is to initiate this systematization. Unlike other types of media—catalogs appear in various forms throughout history. Going back several centuries, early catalogs coincided with the very places of architecture—sometimes mythical ones like the library of Alexandria or the theaters of Camillus—and were built upon the idea of scientific inventories. A significant acceleration in their development occurred in the late 19th century with the promotion of goods and distribution chains on a global scale. In a way, catalogs laid the foundation for the consumer culture of European middle-upper classes and contributed to the emergence of mass consumption after the end of World War II. The mass diffusion of catalogs influenced the work of professionals in architecture and building engineering. Sometimes catalogs expressed alternative trends, instances of criticism, and mainstream cultural hijacking. This symposium focuses on the legacy of catalogs in architecture as an interface between different domains of knowledge, technology, and manufacturing.

March 30, 2023, morning sessions
9:00-9:30 Registration
9:30-9:50 Welcome and opening of the conference

Panel 1. Open-ended Wholeness
9:50-11:50 Discussant/Chair: Axel Sowa (RWTH Aachen)
Speakers: Laurent Stalder (ETH Zürich), André Tavares (University of Porto), Caroline Torra-Mattenklott (RWTH Aachen), Philip Steadman (Bartlett UCL)

11:50-12:30 Q&A and Discussion
12:30-14:30 Lunch

March 30, 2023, afternoon session
Panel 2. Classification Engines

14:30-16:00 Discussant/Chair: Andrea A. Dutto (RWTH Aachen)
Speakers: Kasia Osiecka (RWTH Aachen), Nader Vossoughian (New York Tech), Murielle Hladik (RWTH Aachen)

16:00-16:40 Q&A and Discussion
16:40-17:00 Coffee break

17:00-18:00 Keynote lecture: Caroline Maniaque (ENSA Normandie)
18:30 Dinner

March 31, 2023, morning session
Panel 3. Gradient of Usership

9:30-11:00 Discussant/Chair: Ibai Rigby (RWTH Aachen)
Speakers: Peter Sealy (University of Toronto), Lidia Gasperoni (TU Berlin), Luc Merx (TU Kaiserslautern)

11:00-11:40 Q&A and Discussion
11:40-12:00 Closing of the conference