We are actively working with AECOM and refugee organizations in Lisbon to bring our vision to reality. And finally here is a precis of the design process.
Tradionally, architecture/construction has been a passive process, where the problems are solved after they have existed for a while. We argue for a kind of Temporary Urbanism, producing cultural incubators that are:
1. Free of Program
2. Bottom-up
3. Flexible and Adaptable.
This will help solve problems like refugee crisis in a more active mechanism, acting as interface between the Lisbon locals and refugees.
Refugees usually bring with them a host of skills, cultures, traditions and ethnic food. To properly utilize those skills we would like to offer our solution: pre-fab cultural incubators.
Portugal’s Municipal already has the resources to implement this project as it has collected a sum of 2 million euros and has a vast network of collaborative partners and sponsors.
These luminous pockets around the city could be used for programs of cultural production based around food, music, visual arts etc.
– Activities such as ethnic food workshops, live demostrations and flea markets could provide the infrastructure to make the process of resettling perform better.
– Language and vocational training for the refugees,
– Above all, it would be a place of interaction for the refugees, immigrants and locals. Source by Vardhan Mehta, Shaguni Gupta and Annette Veliz.
