Article, Volume #38
Liquor Law Urbanism — A Conversation with Craig Allchin
— by Timothy Moore
The transformation of Melbourne has been dramatic. In the space of thirty years its dull city core metamorphosed into a lively center through a unique set of circumstances, including strong urban planning policies and the liberalization of liquor laws. Timothy Moore speaks with architect and urban designer Craig Allchin about the city’s recent history and how the confluence of law, planning, and activism provided a matrix with which to model urbanism.
Blog
Think Space Announces New Competition — Join Now!
— by Jeroen Beekmans
Professionals and students in architecture and related fields are eligible to participate in Think Space’s 2013/2014 MONEY cycle. Think Spaces promotes and welcomes interdisciplinary approaches and whoever feels capable of submitting the entry that complies with the competition requirements is eligible to apply.
Article, Volume #38
Don’t Stare So Romantically: On Extralegal Space in Belgrade
— by Dubravka Sekulic
Belgrade became famous in architectural circles in the 1990s for its ‘wildness’; its seemingly spontaneous and unruled spatial practices that at first glance appeared to be a product of a complete ignorance of existing laws. A longer gaze uncovers that the legal-illegal dichotomy in Belgrade was not so simple, and that, behind an exuberant form, the processes that made Belgrade seem wild, have much more to do with the re-regulation of laws, than with their disappearance.
Event
The Good Cause at Stroom The Hague
— by Jeroen Beekmans
Missions of war and missions of peace: both can have a devastating effect on the spatial and social condition of the city. Architecture of Peace is a longterm research project by the international think tank Archis, addressing the military, political and cultural complexity of rebuilding operations. Can architecture actively contribute to a sustainable peace in this field of conflict? The exhibition The Good Cause shows inspiring and hopeful examples in post-war areas in order to distill a number of ‘key success factors’.
Editorial, Volume #38
Law on the Line
— by Arjen Oosterman and Brendan Cormier
Let’s talk about law and faith. The law requires a certain faith – faith that it will perform in our collective best interest. Last year in particular, it was easy to lose that faith. Several high-profile cases brought to light incongruities in our judicial systems that unduly exonerated some, while persecuting others. Take the case of Wall Street. Following the 2008 crash, the US government put together its best legal team to root out what went wrong and who were the culprits. In a case where rapacious greed and gross misconduct were clearly at play, the government failed to prosecute a single major banker. Or look to the cold-blooded murder of Trayvon Martin by neighborhood vigilante George Zimmerman. Using Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law, lawyers were able to justify the racially-charged murder of a defenseless boy. Then there’s Guantanamo Bay, a prison run by the ‘most democratic nation’ in the world, still holding people stripped of their rights. All of this is technically legal.
Blog, Volume #38
Volume #38 Preview
— by Jeroen Beekmans
On January 31st we launched Volume’s 38th issue – The Shape of Law – with a special event at Post Office in Rotterdam. For those who haven’t seen the issue yet but can’t wait to get their hands on it, here’s a little preview!
Blog
Shenzhen Biennale: A Photo Report
— by Arjen Oosterman
Last December, Volume’s editorial team spent three weeks in Shenzhen for the occasion of the Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture. The outcome of our stay in China will be a Shenzhen-themed issue that will be launched soon. To get you in the mood we’ve prepared this little photo report.
Blog
Bracket Calls for Submissions
— by Jeroen Beekmans
Architecture, environment and digital culture magazine Bracket asks: What are the collective projects in the public realm to act on? How have recent design projects incited political or social action? How can design catalyze a public, as well as forums for that public to act? What is the role of spatial practice to instigate or resist public actions?
Volume #38
Volume #38: Out Now!
— by Jeroen Beekmans
For all of you who aren’t able to attend the Volume #38 launch event tonight at Post Office Rotterdam and who cannot wait until it reaches your bookstore and who -strangely enough – are no subscriber yet, you can order the issue here!
Event, Volume #38
Volume #38 Launch Event at Post Office Rotterdam
— by Jeroen Beekmans
Join us Friday January 31st as we launch Volume’s 38th issue – The Shape of Law – with a special event at Post Office in Rotterdam.