CCA ANNOUNCES THE JAMES STIRLING MEMORIAL LECTURES ON THE CITY

THE JAMES STIRLING MEMORIAL LECTURES ON THE CITY

A new lecture competition organized in collaboration between:

Canadian Centre for Architecture and

London School of Economics and Political Sciences,

in association with Van Alen Institute.

Submissions must be received by 15 March, 2004

www.cca.qc.ca/stirlinglectures

Photo: Portrait of James Stirling, Unknown photographer

copyright Collection Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal

CCA Announces a New Competition for Critical Thinking:

THE JAMES STIRLING MEMORIAL LECTURES ON THE CITY

This competition is conceived in homage to architect James Stirling, who believed that urban design is integral to the practice of architecture and a vital topic for public debate. The James Stirling Memorial Lectures will be inaugurated in 2004 as a forum to advance new perspectives on the role of urban design and urban architecture in the development of the urban environment. The intent is to promote innovative approaches to the city and its territories, and to re-position architecture at the centre of debates on the city of the 21st century.

Over the last several decades, the world’s cities-both large and small-have witnessed major shifts that have dramatically affected urban form and density, as well as programming. These, combined with the emergence of new patterns of urbanization and innovative approaches to the design and management of cities, call for strategic thinking commensurate with the radical nature of changes that have occurred. We are seeking proposals for projects that simultaneously advance practical knowledge and provoke critical as well as theoretical debate.

A Stirling Lecturer will be selected every other year by an international jury of architects and urban planners, and the winning lecture will be presented in two versions. The first presentation takes place in autumn at the Canadian Centre for Architecture. The theme is then taken up as the subject of a colloquium co-organized by the Van Alen Institute in New York City and the CCA, with the participation of the Stirling Lecturer and a group of invited critics, theorists, and practitioners. Taking into account critical debate arising in the context of the colloquium as well as further reflection on the part of the Stirling Lecturer, another elaboration of the lecture is presented in spring at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Submission Requirements & Deadline

The following materials must be submitted electronically (as Microsoft Word document attachments accompanied by TIFF or JPEG image files) to the attention of Benjamin Prosky at the CCA (stirlinglectures@cca.qc.ca). Submissions must be received by midnight, 15 March 2004.

– Name, address, title & professional affiliation, telephone & fax numbers, e-mail address

– Curriculum vitae

– 250 word Abstract of proposed lecture topic, which may be supported by up to 5 images

– 1500 word Statement of Purpose describing the genesis of this topic within the context of the applicant’s work, explaining how this project relates to previous investigations and publications, and laying out a general research plan for the proposed Stirling Lecture

*All materials must be submitted in English. Likewise, lectures will be presented in English, in Montreal as well as in London.

Award

Applicants will be notified of the jury’s decision no later than 1 May 2004. The Stirling Lecturer will receive an award of 5,000 $CAD, plus travel expenses in connection with the Montreal and London presentations, and the colloquium in New York City.

For further information, see the CCA website at www.cca.qc.ca/stirlinglectures.

General information:

Benjamin Prosky

E-mail stirlinglectures@cca.qc.ca

Press contact:

Patrick-J. Poirier

Ph. 514-939-7001 ext. 2628,

E-mail pjpoirier@cca.qc.ca