On the occasion of the national Day of Architecture on 30 September 2011 the Danish Network for Young Planners (Netværk for yngre planlæggere) invites Failed Architecture to Copenhagen. Started by Non-fiction in 2010 as a blog it has evolved into a series of debates at De Verdieping in Amsterdam and other cities. In Copenhagen we will discuss criteria (‘benchmarks’) for quality and failure in modernist housing estates in an international East/West perspective.

To make the event site-specific, Scandinavia’s second tallest housing complex Domus Vista (read more below) frames our “walkshop” and debate. Different stakeholders, marking the problem field, meet at the walkshop in Domus Vista’s high-rise and surroundings. We invite planners, residents, architects, journalists, politicians, etc. to test methods and discuss questions like:

• What is it that makes many people criticize modernist public housing estates as failed architecture?
• Is it because of physical, social or cultural conditions?
• Is the modernist ideal about educating and improving the people through urban planning and social engineering still relevant?

The walkshop (working while walking) opens up the debate in Domus Vista’s bankruptcy-threatened community-cum-shopping centre. International and Danish experts present their views on why housing estates from the post-war period are often regarded as failures and how this affects urban planning and regeneration. The Danish situation is put into perspective by experiences from the Balkans and Holland. Failed Architecture events have previously taken place in Amsterdam and Skopje. In the autumn FA moves to Sofia and Belgrade.

Programme September 30 @ Domus Vista (in English) 

16.00 – 16.15 – Introduction to the day’s programme, Failed Architecture and Domus Vista.
16.15 – 17.00 – Experimental walkshop, testing methods in Domus Vista and surroundings.
17.00 – 17.15 – Short break
17.15 – 17.45 – Presentation of questions and conclusions, produced by the walkshop. The different ‘actor groups’ present their viewpoints for each other and the experts.
17.45 – 18.00 – Short break
18.00 – 18.45 – Public debate, moderated by Michiel van Iersel (Non-fiction and founder of Failed Architecture), with presentations by  Ljubo Georgiev (Dutch/Bulgarian architect), Claus Bech-Danielsen (Head of Research at Centre of Housing Research, Professor mso, ph.d. Architect MAA at Danish Building Research Institute), Niels Bjørn (urbanist) and Signe Sophie Bøggild (architectural historian).
18.45 – 19.30 – Open mic, moderated by Michiel van Iersel.
19.45 – 22.00 – Balkan beats and refreshments.

When?
There is programme from 16.00 until 22.00. Since the event has two parts, you can either join us for the whole day or just participate in the debate, open for everybody. To sign up for the walkshop please visit NYP’s website (limited space).

Go to  event.

Where?
Domus Vista, Nordens Plads 4 2000 Frederiksberg Copenhagen.

Click here to see Domus Vista on the map.

More about the venue: Domus Vista 
Domus Vista is located in Copenhagen at Roskildevej in Frederiksberg and is with its 102 metres the tallest residential structure in Denmark and the second tallest residential building in Scandinavia. The tallest building is Turning Torso in Malmø, which was completed in 2005.The building was designed by architect Ole Hagen and was completed in 1969. It was built by builder Harald Simonsen, who also took part in the construction of Hostrups Have in Frederiksberg. Domus Vista has 30 floors and 470 apartments. The lower floors were originally a hotel with restaurant, banquet facilities and living rooms. The hotel was closed in early 1970s. Instead, the living room part of the building is now housing a shopping centre and a library. (Source: Wikipedia)