The Architecture of Migration, Clues of Transcultural Exchanges in the Mediterranean Built Environment

Whether it is the nomadic tribe of the Sahara desert, the drifting nations of the medieval times, the rural communities during the 19th century or the current wave of refugees that are fleeing war or environmental catastrophes, human beings, throughout history, have always been on the move, either to look for a better life or even more significantly to ensure survival. As a phenomenon related to the goal of settling down people, large scale movement of individuals and all the challenges associated are crucial for architecture and urbanism as pointed out by Alejandro Aravena’s Venice Biennale, titled “Reporting from the Front”. From refugee camps to slums, from housing crises in prosperous global cities to new examples of vernacularism, migration is a topic that architects must understand producing innovative responses.

Exploring this topic is the aim of a series of WORKSHOPS and a SYMPOSIUM which suggest the different ways in which migrants coming from the “global south” have shaped the built environment of the European and Mediterranean countries generating a diverse and rich architectural and urban landscape forms. Cultural, Social and economic aspects of this phenomenon will also be analysed in a series of workshops which will introduce and support the main event.