Connectors and Enablers Analysis article by Blaž Babnik Romaniuk (SI) — Architect, founder of the office Obrat www.obratdoo.si
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TOPIC AS A TOOL
“implanting”. Nevertheless, it is important to obtain
There is a substantial diversity in the sites that are
an insight in to how interfaces, as concepts of spatial
grouped together by the similarity of the assignments
development, could engender more complex solutions
to meet the demands (and opportunities) of the topic of
and proposals. As the sites are highly intertwined
“Productive Cities”. The sites could find themselves also
realities of social, spatial, administrative and ecological
in other groups of sites, as their conditions are often
forces, so are the multifaceted and layered concepts of
fundamentally different and could be approached in
possible futures proposed by Europan 15.
various ways. The logic behind the grouping could also be seen as a starting point for an open-ended creative
SITE AS A SNAPSHOT
process and how the results could be later understood
Many mutual characteristics of the seven sites could be
and implemented. Therefore, the topic functions as a
recognized, however it would be counterproductive to
tool for generating solutions and interpreting them.
group them according to a degree of similarity, as the
The teams of E15 used the sub-theme of “Interfaces
complexity could be lost. What could serve as an insight,
and Short Cycles” in a myriad ways, often incorporating
trying to understand the applicability of proposals in
or pivoting the themes of “changing metabolism” and
different context or in changed circumstances, is the
1 — AUBY (FR), WINNER — EXTRACTIONS, FROM SOURCE TO RESOURCES > SEE MORE P.155
2 — SELB (DE), WINNER — SCHERBEN BRINGEN GLÜCK > SEE MORE P.179
