CHAIR OF ARCHITECTURE
AND URBAN DESIGN —
PROF. KEES CHRISTIAANSE

ARCHIVE

ELECTIVE COURSE

Advanced elective course | Prof.Ir.Kees Christiaanse | Ass. Mark Michaeli, Christian Salewski | Thursdays, 3:45-5.30 pm, HIL H 40.4 plaza | Introductory event: February 19th

Due to the restructuring of the airline industry and changes in our overall shopping, mobility, and leisure behavior, many airports offer the space for different uses that go beyond pure air travel. This means that airports can be typologically differentiated, not only according to the air travel perspective based on their position within the global network of air routes, but also, due to the specific offer of uses and spaces, according to the local and regional ground perspective. Instead of a large-scale infrastructure, which is difficult to integrate into the local, regional or urban environment, an airport is already viewed as an urban generator or as a city itself. This observation raises inevitable questions about our concept of city as well as of private and public space. A more precise observation of these diverse relationships leads well beyond an airport’s position within the global network of air routes and the design of the actual airport grounds. The relationship between airports and cities develops from many interdependent scales and fronts. It presents a highly complex urban situation and raises questions about our comprehension of the city. The seminar is an introduction to the subject and will examine examples of the urban design situation of Swiss airports.
Photo: Mark Michaeli, Flughafen Zürich-Kloten, 2008

Schedule

02.19 Airports and Cities: Introduction and Registration | 02.26 Questions for Airports: Johanna Schlaack, Berlin | 03.12. From airport to airport city: Michael Güller, Zurich | 03.19 pin-up Airport Portraits | 04.09 The Airport Region: Alain Thierstein, TU Munich and Thomas Peter, The City of Kloten | 04.23. Interim presentation and critique with Maurits Schaafsma, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and Rainer Johann, HCU Hamburg + 10:00 am: Lecture Airport and City, Maurits Schaafsma | 05.28 Submission of works