"It is the essential, albeit paradoxical, nature of architecture that only when it serves a cause other than itself can it unleash the benevolent powers that are exclusively its own." — Wilson, C.S.J.
Architecture of Emptiness is an educational and design methodology developed within the comprehensive teaching system of the FAUL Project under the leadership of Ljiljana Čavić. This methodology is centered around the concept of urban-architectural emptiness. It extends beyond conventional architectural teaching by delving into the understanding of urban spaces that are often overlooked.
By comprehending the relationship between the architectural project, its surroundings, and the landscape, including the formal, phenomenological, and visual aspects of architectural elements and their context, this approach seeks to broaden its focus to encompass a more extensive framework.
In addition to exploring various architectural dimensions such as context, space, time, sociology, and materials, Architecture of Emptiness incorporates an ecological perspective. This includes considerations of 'contextual dependency,' the 'spatial capacity' of emptiness, the transcendence of space and time, the influence of 'other' social factors, advocacy for 'anti-consumerism,' and promoting material reuse. It encourages students to shift their attention towards aspects often on the periphery of common professional practice, encouraging them to think beyond conventional boundaries. Furthermore, this course introduces students to diverse fields of action, such as addressing material feasibility and exploring various creative methodologies.
The central aim of Architecture of Emptiness is to raise students' awareness of architectural values that go beyond mere formalization, use, and immediate implementation. It builds upon the foundations acquired in previous academic years, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the invisible, the absent, the implicit, and the indirect aspects of architecture.
As a theoretical and design strategy, Architecture of Emptiness seeks to redirect urban architectural production towards a more conscientious and restrained discipline. Its objective is to achieve enhanced place qualification and architectural performance with reduced construction effort. Topics explored in this discipline include resource conservation, material reuse, practical demolition techniques, and the cultural and poetic aspects of repurposing and reusing materials.
In the words of Eduardo Souto de Moura, "From Adolf Loos, I learned that a good architect can be a scholarly, educated, and subtle decision-maker in the design process." This underscores the importance of knowledge, education, and subtlety in architectural design choices