International Workshop: The Open Spaces of Cologne
Component code / course code:
Semester: winter / summer
ECTS credits: 5
Lecture hours per week (SWS): 4
Lecturer: Dr. Ermelinda Di Chiara
Course language: English
Prerequisite: 2nd year students
Objectives (Learning Outcome): The aim of the course is to know the urban history, the relationship between built and natural areas, between “interior spaces” and “exterior spaces” and discover new open spaces that would enrich the structure of the city of Cologne.
Lecture topics (content): The course is part of the discipline of urban morphology and the study of city phenomena. It focuses on the interaction between the forms of Architecture (the built spaces) and the forms of Nature (the open spaces) in the city of Cologne. The aim is to suggest efficient solutions in order to restore a balance between built and natural spaces, a need that has become more urgent than ever. This topic is not new in the fields of architecture and urban studies. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, great masters – Ludwig Hilberseimer, Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe – began a theoretical and operational discourse on the relationship between architecture and nature. In light of climate change and the unresolved problems of urban traffic,
this topic is particularly timely. The course is structured in two phases: the first is analytical, and the second is transformative. The first phase consists of a site visit to the city of Cologne and the elaboration of analytical drawings. Traditional Italian and German tools for urban and spatial analysis, along with the innovative “gold-black plan“ inspider by the Japanese concept of kintsugi, will serve as a foundation for understanding the potential of the urban form. The second phase focuses on identifying new potential open spaces in the city of Cologne.
Teaching format (e.g. online/in person lecture/Seminar/Lab etc.):
Examination: Historical evolution 1:10.000
Black plan 1:10.000
Red-blue plan 1:10.000
Gold-black plan 1:10.000
Concept plan 1:10.000
Examination criteria: Historical analysis
Urban analysis
Spatial analysis
Tools for knowledge and analysis of the city
The work is presented with an A3 book containing
The drawings developed during the course
