A question of time. In search of temporal strategies for an architecture of transition

In architecture, space occupies a central place; sometimes to the detriment of time, which is too often neglected, even though it is a key factor for thinking about ecological, social, and economic transition. Given the urgency of climate change, this symposium puts the question of time at the heart of the debate, as an essential element of architectural, urban, and territorial projects. Reconsidering our discipline through the time factor will enable us to see architecture in relation to the temporal dynamics in which it is embedded, offering an indispensable condition for modifying its circumstances and mechanisms. The exponential depletion of resources and the polluting character of the building industry confront us with the limits of continuous growth. Time is no longer conceivable in its linear progression but should be addressed in a renewed manner. The dynamics that have hitherto governed the world—‘the tempest of progress,’ to borrow an expression from Walter Benjamin’s ‘Angel of History’—have not stopped dragging us towards a future that risks turning into a catastrophe. Isn’t the introduction of ‘counter-time’ essential if we are to break out of the trajectories we’ve embarked upon? Are these the premises of a future that will—by force of circumstances—be radically different? Refusing to remain passive in the face of this accelerating process, this conference proposes to think from now on about time and temporalities that determine the course of things. It calls for more resilient, more inclusive counter-dynamics, and explores ways of establishing greater resonance with the world.