MAX PROTETCH GALLERY // VENICE BIENNALE, 2002

Archi-Tectonics was invited by the Max Protetch Gallery to join the Exhibit for the WTC area after 2001, as well as the American Pavilion in the 2002 Venice Biennale. The work has also been bought by The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Flex City is an interactive electronic environment where construction proposals are instigated by selecting changes in certain logistic data (Econ Flex) and specific choice driven data (Social Flex). This game environment introduces not only new typologies for downtown Manhattan; horizontal slabs for office and commercial space, tall towers for apartments, but in specific it stresses "Flex Space" which distributes schools, medical units, shops, "Green Flex" which introduces an extreme amount of parks, tree-lined streets, playgrounds and new infra-structures add the necessary Flex-ability.

Flex-City allows you to create a city-scape sensitive to Social Flex and Econ Flex. It combines constant instability (Stock market and Migration patterns) with permanent adjustment (Local politics and Tourist behavior). The Flex-archive will give you data and background information on the global flux of the last ten years; the prognosis is for the next 10 years (up to 2012: NYC Olympics). The flexibility will be found in the re-generation of a hybrid city model where mixed-use zones overlap and integrate in interlinked live-work-play-learn zones.

In any given economic situation there are a number of possible outcome or equilibria; any of which can get established and sustain itself. Consulting firms like Macreconomic Advisers use a computer model of the economy to produce forecasts of gross domestic product, inflation, unemployment, and other economic variables. Most variables are "exogenous", which means one has to choose values for them on the basis of knowledge and intuition. For example, when circumstances change people's behavior tends to change too. Successful forecasting involves three elements: science, art, and luck.

The gallery brought together nearly 60 internationally renowned architects, including Coop Himmeb(l)au, Frei Otto, Hodgetts + Fung, Michael Graves, Raimund Abraham, Preston Scott Cohen, LOT-EK, and more, providing an interesting vision into the most advanced architectural thinking at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Credits

Year: Exhibition 2002

Location: Max Protetch Gallery NYC, the Venice Biennale, Italy. Bought by the Library of Congress Washington.

Project Type: Interactive exhibition

Design Team: Principal in charge: Winka Dubbeldam, Assoc. AIA | Design Team: Sung Kyun Im, Seiichi Saito, Leo Yung

Consultants: Investment Consulting: Jonathan Carroll | Sound Design: Emmanuel Ruffler | Exhibition Sponsors: UAD Group

Credits

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