New challenges for the landscape. Architecture Day on Sunday, 13 October 2013
Press release
The sixth edition of Architecture Day will focus on Flanders’ urbanised landscape. Look at the landscape and you will see that the world is changing. In Flanders that landscape is covered with buildings. How can architecture convert our current landscape into a sustainable, high-quality environment? Which new modes of cohabitation, housing and work contribute to this?
How can architecture do more with less space?
The immense potential of our space will be highlighted on Sunday, October 13. Innovative landscape designs, sustainable group housing projects, ecological business parks and agricultural projects in the heart of the city: Architecture Day draws attention to them during guided walks, cycling trips, workshops, debates and exhibitions. You can also visit a huge number of buildings that day.
This year Genk will be the capital of architecture. The city embodies the problems of urbanised landscapes in Flanders: urbanisation, migration, an ageing population and the economic crisis, which require environmental solutions. Together with its inhabitants, the city is looking for a way to turn Genk into a sustainable city where people can live and work together.
In the run up to Architecture Day, the Flemish Architecture Institute, the City of Genk, the University of Hasselt and Architectuurwijzer will organise master classes, debates and exhibitions about Genk’s environmental future. Journalist Pascal Verbeken will write a ‘city portrait’ about Genk specifically for this occasion. The publication will be available on Architecture Day. Verbeken was recently nominated for the prestigious ‘Bob den Uyl prize’ for the Best Dutch-Language Travel Book in 2013 with his work Grand Central Belge.
Things will get off to a flying start on Saturday, October 12 with a talk show in C-mine dedicated to Architecture Day. That same evening Minister Joke Schauvliege will present the Flemish Culture Award for Architecture 2013.