*** From June 21 to 24, 23 international architects will participate in the 20th edition of the annual workshop of the Canova Foundation, with a conference by Icelandic architect Dagur Eggertsson on 23rd June
The city of Domodossola, located at the foot of the Alps on the border between Italy and Switzerland and a historic crossroads for cultural and commercial exchanges between Milan and Northern Europe, will host a special edition of the Canova Foundation’s International Architect Encounter from June 21 to 24. Founded in 2001 as an association and converted to a foundation in February, the Canova Foundation will celebrate its 20th edition this year.
Three Days of Workshops and Dagur Eggertsson’s Keynote Lecture
In this 20th edition of the Canova International Architect Encounter, 23 international architects from 13 countries, selected from the 65 invited since the first edition, will envision the transformation of the Rosmini College. The three days will be an opportunity to address the reorganization of spaces in a renowned educational institution. Established in 1837, the college has seen the families of Italian nobility and bourgeoisie pass through its imposing portals and continues to be a respected learning center for young people today.
From Friday, June 21 to Monday, June 24, the invited architects will immerse themselves in the medieval heart of the city, reflecting on this historic institution. They will be hosted in the college’s Physics and Astronomy classrooms, cloisters, and ancient library, extending their design reflections to the Sacro Monte Calvario, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2003. “From reflections on the reorganization of the school’s spaces to the access to Sacro Monte, currently served by a road and a mule track, ideas and scenarios will emerge and be publicly presented along with Dagur Eggertsson’s lecture,” explains Ken Marquardt, Council member and founder of the Canova Association.
A Visit to the Ghesc Village-Laboratory
The event will also offer participating architects the opportunity to visit the nearby village-laboratory of Ghesc: a small cluster of ancient houses built using traditional stone techniques that the Canova Foundation has saved from nature’s advance, restoring the homes and animating the village with activities.
The work on the small village of Ghesc began in 2007. Since then, numerous projects have continued its restoration with the goal of making it a cultural center for promoting traditional architecture, natural materials, and sustainable practices. Over the years, this has involved architects and student collaborating with major universities in organizing summer camps and workshops on lime and the use of hemp in construction.
The International Architect Encounters are part of these activities and have invited guests from Italy and abroad since 2001, including Australian Glenn Murcutt and Swiss Andreas Fries (Herzog & de Meuron), to reflect on the preservation of local heritage and vernacular architecture through international perspectives.
“In these places, it will be fantastic to share and interact with a group of like-minded individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. Designing means understanding others’ needs, observing, and listening. Canova has been doing this for years, saving a millennia-old culture from oblivion, balancing man, nature, and living,” comments architect and designer Andrea Mantello, a Council member of the Foundation.
The village of Ghesc will host a new practical hands-on workshop from August 5 to 24, transforming a stone building into a restoration laboratory where participants can learn and practice the use of sustainable materials and traditional techniques through a “learning-by-doing” approach.
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The Canova Foundation consists of: Maurizio Cesprini (President), Ken Marquardt (Vice President), Andrea Mantello, Andreas Fries, Paola Gardin
The 23 invited architects are: Ceren Bogaç (Cyprus), Peter Cox (Ireland), Arish Dastur (India), Rodrigo Del Canto (Chile), Yuksel Demir (Turkey), Patricia Ferro (Italy), Gunny Harboe (USA), Francesco Iannone and Serena Tellini (Italy), Randall Kober (Germany), Andrea Mantello (Belgium), Daniel Marquardt (USA), Aleksander Ostan (Slovenia), Joshua Pagani (Italy), Enrico Pinna and Mariri Viardo (Italy), Wolfgang and Brigitte Podgerschek (Austria), Tom Schacher (Switzerland), Greg Smallenberg (Canada), Julian Smith (Canada), Angelo Stagno (Austria), Giovanni Traverso and Paola Vigny (Italy), Renato Vivaldi (Chile), Rasmus Waern (Sweden), Carol Wilson (USA).
Keynote speaker: Dagur Eggertsson
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architettura vernacolare , congressi , piemonte , recupero
Last modified: 19 Giugno 2024
