Aims

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Understand the constitutive elements of the architecture of cities, their articulations and significations,
Identify the principal concepts belonging to urban morphological analysis, and measure their relevance to design,
Identify the major moments and structures of urban space and its relation to the surrounding territory.

Main themes

The course begins by pointing out a series of convergences between historical knowledge, methods of spatial analysis and design practices. It then reviews, in a structured manner, the broad categories of urban textures and possible articulations between urban tissue and monuments.
The notions of permanence and of historical "thickness" will be investigated. How does the city construct itself upon itself? How does physical transformation occur, such as when city walls are conserved in the continuity of boulevards?
Specific postures belonging to different eras will be identified, as will their contribution to the development of urban structure, through the analysis of significant examples. In cases like Paris, Brussels, Florence or Rome, when, how, and where does one site a town hall, a covered passage, a parc or cemetery, a canal, a train station or a factory? These questions will the history of art with that of technology in order to provide a basis for knowledge of the spatial structure of cities and territories

Content and teaching methods

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Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

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