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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.

EX Excursion Vienna / Nina Rattensperger, Bart Lootsma

Our excursion takes this semester place in beautiful Vienna! In September, we would like to give you a look behind the scenes in museums and of course at architectural highlights. (Housing) projects of the turn of the century, the 20ies, as well as newer, contemporary projects will be on the program, we are looking forward […]

VO Architectural Theory 1 / Bettina Schlorhaufer

Each lecture is dedicated to a specific topic, e. g.”How the Other Half Lives”, “socialist Utopists”, “Americanness”, “Bentham’s panopticon”, etc. Presentation of the respective theme and the most important participants in the respective discourse in connection with the corresponding major works, the main features, and stations of their reception. Development of a fundamental base for […]

EP Design Studio 3 / Bart Lootsma, Bettina Schlorhaufer, Giacomo Pala, Bettina Siegele

Hypnerotomachia Naturae The term Hypnerotomachia comes from the history of literature. In 1499 an author named Francesco Colonna, whose identity remains mysterious to this day, published a novel entitled “Hypnerotomachia Poliphili”. This is a work that deals with a special kind of love dream – rather the struggle for love in a dream. In his dream, […]

SE Vertiefter Entwurf: Architekturtheorie / Bettina Schlorhaufer

The Exhibitionary Complex Modern civil society was formed under the condition of a new perspective of the state on the citizen. Last but not least, the execution of power played a role in this context. “Negative power” (revenge, execution, torture) was to be transformed into “positive power” (code of law, control).After important construction tasks such […]

SE Curatorial Practices / Nina Tabassomi

The seminar gives insights into exhibition making with special attention to the staging of rooms. How are exhibitions of contemporary art created? How does the programming come about, how does the work with artists proceed, according to which aspects are the decisions for temporary exhibition architecture made and how is it implemented? In addition to […]

EP Design Studio M1 / Bart Lootsma, Eleni Boutsika, Melanie van der Hoorn

Story Telling / Scenario Planning Over the last decade, storytelling has become an important tool in architecture and urbanism and films and moving content in general are increasingly important in the communication of architecture.  According to Jeffrey Inaba, in his editorial to the special issue of Volume dedicated to storytelling, Storytelling has become so important […]

SE Sonderkapitel der Architekturtheorie / Marco Russo

How much theory can architecture take? Or to put it another way: How can philosophical and cultural theoretical approaches help prospective architects in their understanding and handling of architecture? This course is first and foremost a theory clubbing. The aim is to get to know different positions and to reflect and discuss them with regard […]

VO Cultural Studies / Mathieu Wellner

“The work that cultural studies has to do, is to mobilize everything that it can find in terms of intellectual resources in order to understand what keeps making the life we live, and the societies we live in, profoundly and deeply anti-humane.” (Stuart Hall, 1992) In Cultural Studies, cultural, social, political and media phenomena are […]

SE Architectural Criticism / Davide Tommaso Ferrando

Contemporary Practices I  Nowadays, everyone has free and immediate access to architectural works, just as everyone has the free and immediate possibility to say or write something about them. Digital platforms, websites, webzines, blogs, curated archives, Pinterest boards, Instagram profiles, Facebook groups, YouTube channels, Apps, Videogames… all these and other tools have expanded the quantity, […]

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? These issues will be reflected along the interdisciplinary gender studies and […]

SE Pre-Diploma / Davide Tommaso Ferrando, Alexa Baugartner, Bart Lootsma

Hypnerotomachia Naturae The term Hypnerotomachia comes from the history of literature. In 1499 an author named Francesco Colonna, whose identity remains mysterious to this day, published a novel entitled “Hypnerotomachia Poliphili”. This is a work that deals with a special kind of love dream – rather the struggle for love in a dream. In his dream, […]

VO Architectural Theory 2 / Bart Lootsma

The course provides students with an insight into the political, ideological and philosophical interrelationships of architecture, urban development and landscape of the first half of the 20th century. The students develop skills on how to derive critical analyses, theoretical strands or approaches from the presented positions. In the winter semester 2018/2019, Architecturaltheory_2 will be presented […]