Narrating Architecture – A Discussion on Writing Architectural History in the Anthropocene

For years, the story of architecture has been told through monumental buildings, the architects who designed them, and the styles that came to define different eras. But what is left out of this story?

What happens when we look at architecture through the infrastructures that make it possible, the money that funds it, the technologies that shape it, as well as politics, nature, and everyday life? And what can we discover about the city when we reconsider what is deemed worthy of entering architectural history?

As part of the exhibition “The Heritage of the Future”, the exhibition curators Friedrich Von Borries and architect Sabrina Cegla will host Prof. Eva Horn and architect Natanel Elfassy for a conversation about the forces that shape the built environment and the ways in which they influence how architectural history is written.

The discussion will also consider how human activity and architecture are transforming the planet, and how our understanding of the past shapes the ways in which we imagine the future. The evening will begin with a short guided tour of the exhibition led by the curators, followed by a panel discussion in English.

Eva Horn, Professor of Modern German Literature and Cultural Theory at the University of Vienna. Her research focuses on the Anthropocene and the history of how climate has been perceived and represented. Together with Hannes Bergthaller, she is the author of The Anthropocene – Key Issues for the Humanities (Routledge, 2020). She is currently writing a book on the atmosphere as a medium.

Arch. Natanel Elfassy, Head of the SCE Negev School of Architecture, Co Founder of 3426, Partner at AN+ Architects

The event will be moderated by the exhibition curators:

Friedrich von Borries, architect, writer, and Professor of Design Theory at the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg (HFBK).

Sabrina Cegla, architect, senior curator, and founding team member at Liebling Haus.

19:00  Short guided tour of the exhibition ‮"‬the Heritage of the Future‮"‬

19:45  Intermission with drinks and light refreshments

 20:00  Panel discussion

The event will be hels in English

With the support of the Goethe-Institut Israel.