On 12 and 13 December, the Flanders Architecture Institute organized a trip for the international press on the occasion of the launch of the Flanders Architectural Review N°15 Alliances with the Real. Journalists from Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, the United Kingdom and Switzerland visited several high-profile projects from the latest Review in Antwerp and Ghent.
The first day of the press tour took place in Antwerp. In the largest city of Flanders, a lot is happening today in the field of architecture and urban planning. Some projects embody the transition that the city is going through. Special attention is paid to the symbiosis between heritage and contemporary architecture.
Also in Ghent many neighborhoods and buildings are undergoing a metamorphosis. On day two we visited the reconversion of the Oude Dokken, the restoration of the Book Tower and the Bijloke Concert Hall.
Contemporary architecture is facing social upheavals that are harder than ever to ignore. The housing shortage, changing visions on education, the collective past, public space and new care needs – these issues are becoming more urgent by the day. The hesitant response to such crises puts the (international) success of architecture from Flanders and Brussels into perspective. Flanders Architectural Review N°15. Alliances with the Real showcases some of the most striking recent architecture in Flanders and Brussels and the surprising responses to the aforementioned challenges. Ten essays and two photo series provide critical reflection and hold a mirror up to the world of architecture. Alliances with the Real calls for social commitment and social entrepreneurship from all those who contribute to the (un)built environment.
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Egon Verleye
communications & PR
Flanders Architecture Institute
T +32 (0)3 242 89 73
E egon.verleye@vai.be
