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Courses

Within the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Innsbruck, the Department of Architectural Theory teaches cultural theory, concentrating primarily on those aspects that affect the design of our environment, but also scientific research, curating and publishing materials on architectural, urban and landscape issues. In doing so, aspiring architects and architects gain conceptual and communication skills. Additionally, the chair prepares on specialized occupations, which reflect on the cultural aspects of architecture reflecting: architectural theorist, architectural historian, architecture journalist, curator, editor, occupations in museums, cultural funds, in PR and marketing, etc.
In lectures, seminars and projects, students are introduced to and study important architectural theoretical treatises and positions. Studio projects deal subsequently with concrete projects for books, exhibitions, websites, etc., using all potential skills for their realization. Courses dealing with theory as theory are alternated with ones that deal with an encountered built reality. Of course, essential social, philosophical and cultural positions are reflected upon in the process.

Important learning objectives for all courses beyond the central theme of the course are also:

• “Learning to Learn”: learning from books, from lecturers, from other students and from reality.
• Acquisition of learning strategies and content in the context of the research of architectural theory and history.
• Learning an effective use of the library(s) and archives. Learning important research techniques, also for archival research.
• Writing texts, using pictures, making books, curating exhibitions, editing videos and designing websites on the basis of the investigated material.
• Use of several presentation techniques in varied contexts and with different media: essay, short presentation with PowerPoint or Keynote, book, exhibition, website, video.
• Teamwork: we usually work in teams of two students. The topics and presentations are structured in such a way that all teams can benefit from each other and the individual presentations are part of a larger whole or product.

SE Curatorial Practices / Nina Tabassomi

Das Seminar untersucht kuratorische Praktiken vor dem Hintergrund von gegenwärtigen Herausforderungen ans Ausstellungsmachen mit dem Fokus auf deren Zeitlichkeit. Welche Rolle spielt das Timing in Ausstellungen von Gegenwartskunst?

VO Architectural Theory / Bart Lootsma

Radical Austria, Alles ist Architektur The experimental work of Austrian architectural collectives and designers from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s has been called the “Austrian Avant-Garde.” The lecture Architecture Theory M is dedicated to the consciousness-expanding, boundary-pushing and socially critical work of these designers.

SE Selected Topics in Architecture / Nina Rattensperger

No final result: transforming shelter and moving environments “Pao I”, is a mobile package, for nomadic women in Tokyo. Developed by Toyo Ito In 1989, this project creates an escape from Tokyo society in two ways. First, in a physical sense, as the resident is able to carry her “Pao” and place it wherever she […]

Pre-Diploma / Bart Lootsma

Pre Diploma Architectural Theory   The Pre-Diploma Studio in Architectural Theory focuses on architectural historical and theoretical topics and methods. It prepares students for a Master’s thesis in architectural theory or history in English or German. In most cases, the result will be a written thesis in the form of a book.

SE Curatorial Practices / Andrei Siclodi

Das Seminar behandelt die vielfältigen Aspekte der Entwicklung und Inszenierung unterschiedlicher Präsentationsformate von Gegenwartskunst unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Rolle, die architektonische sowie urbanistische Fragestellungen in diesen Prozessen einnehmen (können).

EP Design Studio 2 / Bettina Siegele, Eleni Boutsika Palles

performing   “… ‘performative’ suggests a dramatic and contingent construction of meaning.” [1] Bodies performing architecture :: Architecture performing bodies. 

EX Exkursion: ROME / Davide Tommaso Ferrando, Giacomo Pala

The excursion will be in Rome and it will take place in September 2022. We will of course visit ancient roman architecture, such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Villa Adriana, and classic masterpieces such as San Pietro, Bramante’s Tempietto and Borromini’s San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane.

VO Architectural Theory 2 / Bettina Schlorhaufer

In the course, students learn about the political, ideological, artistic and philosophical contexts of architecture, urban planning and landscape in the first half of the 20th century.

VO Architectural Theory 1 / Bettina Schlorhaufer

Each lecture is dedicated to a specific theme, e.g. “Architecture and Utopia”, revolutionary architecture (Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, Étienne-Louis Boullée and Jean-Jacques Lequeu) and the so-called early socialist utopians (Robert Owen and Charles Fourier).

SE Theoretical Discussions / Stamatia Christodoulaki

Machine Learning in Architecture, or, The generation of Artificial Rooms Machine Learning (ML) recognizes, listens, reads, learns and discriminates. It also writes and paints, speaks, and drives. This proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fueled by the exhaustive measuring of objects and the environment.

SE Gender Studies / Katerina Haller

GenderSpace – Feminist strategies in space production and appropriation of space.   The course analyzes the interconnection of gender, race and class along key texts, blogs and artistic interventions in public space. How is built the city? What are regulations and exclusions – where are gaps?

PJ Design Studio 3 / Tim Altenhof, Giacomo Pala

Strange Bodies Are buildings today imagined as flexible, open systems because our bodies are conceived as interconnected systems? This is the question we will ask through design and its theory.