Alter Architecture

On the occasion of the awarding of the Philippe Rothier European Prize for Architecture, the Fondation pour l’Architecture is organising a major exhibition devoted to “alter architecture” around the world. Like alter-globalisation, “alter architecture” envisages a different way of conceiving of the built environment, one that takes into account the constraints linked to modern society as well as the need to protect the environment and the characteristics of the site in which it develops (climate, lifestyle, etc.). In the age of globalisation, it is a question of reflecting on the positioning of architecture in relation to its programme, and on possible alternatives in the face of an increasing uniformity that is ill-suited to the needs of man and of the planet.

The exhibition proposes a trip around the world, discovering architectural cultures of diverse nature. Whether urban or rural, permanent or temporary, created by architects or not, they may differ in form but are essentially the same in substance. They have in common their links to cultural and constructive traditions, respecting their built or natural environment and having recourse to recyclable materials that consume little energy and cause little pollution. Bringing them together in this way serves to highlight these points of convergence that constitute a lesson for the architecture of the future.