PAO.6 PROGRAMME FOR L`AQUILA

The city of l´Aquila, the capital of the Abruzzo Region and a place of cultural heritage of first order, got heavily demolished in a major earthquake in April 2009. After one year of evacuation, rescue work, and restoration, a major need for the city of l´Aquila are „Places for Socialising“. The earthquake had not only destroyed the physical structures of public living and housing, but before all social ones. Whereas the deficit of physical structures could be more or less resolved after one year, the need for social integration remains still acute. The government has build a number of new public housing areas in the vicinity of the city in order to a give a home to the dislocated – but more difficult is perhaps the „reconstruction“ of functioning social structures.

A simple yet effective small architecture for cultural events and socialising among young people – “Hot Spots” and “Cool Places” – shall be created. Whereas the first week of the workshop is for “idea making” by travelling across the scenic Abruzzo area and the cities and villages of the region, the second week is dedicated to actually building this mini-architecture. The most promising and realistic place for project work is the new location of l´Aquila University´s Engineering faculty (former CD factory) is. There is a clear demand for social places and services
for students and faculty. At the university, places for work and meeting are available for the studio and lectures sessions. – Further locations that invite meaningful intervention are the several villages around l´Aquila which had suffered by he earthquake as well.

PAO.6 PROGRAMME FOR POTOC

The central idea for the future of the old school building in Potoc is the set-up of a creative institution: Casă de creație –a cultural center for the Cheile Nerei Region.
Looking at the school as it was, a certain tendency for the future can be figured out, a chance for the building itself: to become a place of learning, filled with an artistic and crafty spirit, a place of inspiration, meditation and togetherness. Imagine a school again, but one that not only teaches formal academic knowledge, but genuinely develops and growths the mind of the people.
The future concepts for the school building should not ignore the people of Potoc and their interests. Starting from the idea of an „Experimental Creative Laboraty“ specific functions can be entitled. One of them is setting up a Builders Workshop.

In Potoc, like in any other village, there is and always will be public construction work, reparing the church roof, building a festival stage, repairing bridges etc. There will be always be building works to be done and there would be always be a team of builders. This included the idea of a local artisian workshop, including an atelier and a material storage, a machine room and a showroom featuring valuable traditions and practices.
A stepwise rehabilitation of the old and derelict building is provided: every year one or more rooms to be professionally refurbished. The PAO session 2010 in Potoc aims that purpose: the first steps will be made. With all care and patience, one step by another can be taken in order to steadily develop a functioning and vital complex. The extension of the old school building is not to be spectacular architecture. Before all it should enable people to work here and to get inspired.