Spaces of encounter. Shortlisted proposal for the Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism \ Architecture 2015.
“Syntopia combines the notion of syn-, a prefix that according to the Oxford Dictionary means “acting or considered together; united: synchrony syncarpous” and topia, which in Greek means “place”. Syn-topia is defined by the presence of encounter, of dialogue, of exchange. Whether the juxtaposed elements are architectural programs, physical spaces, cultures or meanings, Syntopia signifies a new reality, a condition that proposes new definitions, and a space that is larger than the sum of its parts.
Syntopia is composed of different elements such as union, juxtaposition, hybridization, reciprocity and dialogue of different elements, as in the words synchronicity (the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection), synergy (The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects) or synthesis (The combination of components or elements to form a connected whole).
For the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Biennale, Syntopia will collect and present territorial and urban conditions, architectural and design solutions, and research and creative processes where multiple factors coexist, proposing that it is this condition of mixity that makes our contemporary environments more complex and richer than the city based on the clear separation of functions and activities, typical of the processes of modernization of the XX century.”
Syntopia. Spaces of Encounter is a proposal of exhibition, events, communication and publications submitted to the open call for the curatorship of the Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture 2015. The submission was developed in collaboration with an international curatorial team, composed of Rachaporn Choochuey, Brendan Cormier, Leslie Lok, Kaiwan Mehta, and Naomi Shibata.
Download here the initial submission.
Download here the updated document that was presented to the selection committee in Shenzhen, in October 2014.