Urbanism and Architectures of the Quantum Paradigm
Responding to complex cultural identities, liberated from mechanical thinking, inspired by complexity and emergence, emboldened by new conceptual languages, and empowered by technology and software, a new generation of designers and architects is beta-testing the next forms for our networked culture.
Introduction
Some mornings I wake up with my head full of rhythms, and rhythms of rhythms, and rhythms of rhythms of rhythms. And to have to speak English is like having to put on a straitjacket.
(Leroy Little Bear ‘Sa’ke’j’ Henderson)
“Architecture in the New Paradigm”: a Response to Charles Jencks’ “The New Paradigm in Architecture”
The problem with Charles Jencks is that he is too old to recognize the new paradigm as anything more than a new opportunity to recount the buildings of his personal favourite architects. The paradigm shift he is looking for in the grammar of a handful of landmark buildings will forever elude him: the new paradigm […]
n-Dimensional Metaphor: the Grand Museum of Egypt
One of the most recurrent themes in the history of civilisations is the close link between their worldview – what they believe the world to be like- and their large scale architectural production. In particular, the Egyptians built gargantuan projects because they believed they were necessary to uphold and sustain their worldview. It was also their way of keeping eternal archives of their memory and knowledge, literally carved in stone, or through metaphoric and symbolic devices. Here are some of the parallels in attitude – updated for the 21st century – we have adopted for this project.
Quantum Environments: Urban Design in the Post-Cartesian Paradigm
Introduction An Antipodal Landscape, the Need for a Synthesis The Cartesian Paradigm A Post-Cartesian Paradigm: the Quantum World View A New Conceptual Language The Society-Space-Time Quantum Continuum and the Role of the User’s Mind Implications for Urban Form A Multi-level Framework Conclusion Introduction Incomparable scientific and technological development has transformed our culture and our lifestyles […]
Sifting Through the Chaos / A (Brief) Manual for Navigating the Streets of Beirut
For many travellers visiting a new city, the first impression is everything… yet most interesting cities hide their true character behind a facade of images and sounds that overwhelm the visitor’s senses by their sheer newness. This generally makes for a very shallow form of tourism that, although often interesting enough by itself, gives a […]
MonoPolyPolis: Banknotes & Beirut
Money in Lebanon is perhaps the single most common denominator between the 18 or so communities that make up the Lebanese mosaic. The failure to recognise the importance of national currency as an archive of culture, is as dangerous as the systematic eradication of cultural heritage, as in the example of the Beirut Central District.
Mimesis: Quameleon
Quantum City
Quantum City explores the metaphorical relationships between quantum theory, urban design and the concept of the city, with a very serious aim: to radically change the way the urban realm is both experienced and designed.
Sum over histories or the Garden of Forking Paths
The following project was part of a submitted proposal for an international urban design ideas competition for the development of Beirut’s Martyrs Square, launched in summer 2004 by Solidere, the real-estate company in charge of the reconstruction and development of the Beirut City Centre (BCD).