A plea to large scale decarbonizing
Belgium Pavilion, Venice Biennale, Italy
Graz Museum, Schlossberg, Austria
École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Versailles, France
Towards Territorial Transition is a plea to large-scale decarbonizing. It presents new spatial strategies, concepts and approaches for shaping large-scale and transnational developments in architecture and urban design towards decarbonization and ecological transition.
The contributions investigate interactions between ecological and resource-related systems and landscapes. They also explore potential solutions to address and deal with the dramatic threats posed by climate change and the emerging social crisis.
The book, edited by Matthias Armengaud and Aglaée Degros, with Radostina Radulova-Stahmer addresses the enormous potential of territorial transition to enable an equitable climate and ecology-oriented approach to systemic planning and design. The publication starts with two essays that introduce its perspective on territorial transition. One is a plea on the topic of fallow land that discusses the necessity of territorial, eco-systemic reserves. While the other addresses the Territorial Habitat and argues for the need for a spatialization of systems. A photo essay provides a poetic, visual report, revealing an atmospheric climate narrative that shows the everyday life in Luxembourg. It addresses the relation between the territory, society and climate and makes visible the planning practices and protocols that are still strongly related to high carbon emissions and resource consumption while also revealing the consumption protocols still inherent to our society.
An introductory round table discussion outlines the ecological transition’s spectrum of meaning, addressing its relevance and necessity as well as discussing its dynamics in terms of tools, measurability and design. This discussion is complemented by eight expert contributions spanning the spectrum of topics and perspectives related to the territorial transition, revealing positions from academia and practice.
Six core notions for the territorial transition are formulated to show the different fields of action - transition, territory, scale, resource, platform and uncertainty. Tackling these issues, student projects from two universities, Ecole nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Versailles and Graz University of Technology, show possible speculative spatial design approaches towards a territorial transition.
Moreover, the book spotlights six territorial, mostly cross-border projects (grands projects with a climate-oriented focus) in Europe from the last fifteen years, providing a perspective for a sustainable and livabel environment.
Accompanying events
The first stop of the international road show will take place at the Belgium Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Italy in September, followed by the offical book launch in Graz, Austria and a book presentation in Versailles, France.
September 16, 2023: book presentation at the Venice Biennale Belgium Pavilion
September 29, 2023: main book presentation at the Schlossberg Museum in Graz, Austria followed by panel discussion.
October 9, 2023: book presentation at the École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Versailles, France followed by discussion.
Towards Territorial Transition: A plea to large scale decarbonizing
Paperback, 240 pages, 130 color and 20 b/w illustrations, 19 x 24 cm
ISBN 978-3-03860-305-4
Pre-order the book now from Park Books.
Editors: Matthias Armengaud and Aglaée Degros with Radostina Radulova-Stahmer
Round table discussants: Matthias Armengaud, Anita Berrizbeitia, Aglaée Degros, Panos Mantziaras and Radostina Radulova-Stahmer
Essay authors: Marc Armengaud, Stefan Bendiks, Matthijs Bouw, Florian Dupont, Simon Hartmann, Radostina Radulova-Stahmer, Eva Schwab and Ingrid Taillandier
