We are happy to launch the first call for papers of 2017 and begin the cycle CARTHA – On The Limits of Fiction in Architecture.

Almost three centuries ago, in 1721, the Austrian architect Fischer von Erlach published  A Plan of Civil and Historical Architecture. This book, a supposed comparative analysis of the world’s architecture, contains a number of plates depicting a group of monuments such as the Giza Pyramids,  and the buildings of still remote cultures like Chinese pavilions and landscapes alongside projects and buildings by Fischer von Erlach himself. On each plate, below the image, a bilingual caption shortly exposes von Erlach’s personal views on the represented buildings and projects

By presenting both existing buildings, regardless of how accurate their representations are, and de facto fictional buildings in the same manner, Fischer consciously manipulated the notions of reality of the European population.

For this first issue, we call for contributions only and exclusively in the form of text. The contributions should build upon an example in architecture chosen by the contributor, a case study, and expand on the question of how architecture operates with and within fiction and reality.

SCHEDULE AND SUBMISSION DETAILS

The Limits of Fiction in Architecture, Issue I  will be published in August 2017.

Contributions should be electronically sent to CARTHA until 15.06.2017. Accepted proposals will then be prepared for publishing by the author and the editorial board together.

Contributions must be written in English and submitted in *.doc format.

CARTHA does not buy intellectual property rights for the material appearing in the magazine. We suggest contributors to publish their work under Creative Commons licenses.

Further questions: info@carthamagazine.com

Mayor Fernando Medina                                                        

Campo Grande 25,
Lisboa, Portugal

Dear Mayor Medina :

What do you really want for Lisbon?
What do you want for yourself?
Are the hills really that steep?
What will your legacy be?
Are you free after?

Doubt is a fundamental part in any process of development and it is the source of any improvement.

The constant questioning of ourselves and our surroundings provides us with the necessary awareness in the decision making that will define our societies and ourselves.Moreover, few roles imply so much and such important decision making as being the mayor of a city like Lisbon; So we can imagine that you may be questioning yourself quite often about how your decisions have a direct impact in your city, your country and even your continent.

Each decision is preceded by a doubt, comes with a hope and it is followed by a result. In this sense, questions are the origin of the critical thinking towards our professions, which in your case is managing the city. Reformulating automated questions that will give expected answers becomes imperative in an ever changing urban context, where problems evolve more rapidly than solutions. In other words thinking first about the right questions may help us to take the right decisions.

So dear mayor of Lisbon; above are some questions by CARTHA, we hope that their answers will provide you with a clearer and broader vision that will certainly be useful in the reading of the letters and any further proposals which you might also receive,  from our colleague architects.

We are looking forward to receiving your answers.

Sincerely,

The editorial board of CARTHA.

We are pleased to announce the launch of the special issue “CARTHA on Making Heimat” Which will take place at La Biennale di Venezia, at the German Pavilion in the Giardini, on the 28th of August, from 14:00 on.

The special issue will be presented by CARTHA, with the presence of Peter Cachola Schmal, General comissioner of the exhibition and director of the Deutsches Architekturmuseum and Oliver Elser, curator of the exhibition.

We are pleased to announce the publishing of our first book, ” On Relations in Architecture” edited by Park Books (Zürich).

Coming out this summer!

CARTHA was present in the Venice Biennale, covering the opening of the Saloon Suisse and the German and Japanese Pavilions.

Dear all

We would like to invite you to the launch of  the first issue of 2016!
Issue I HOW TO LEARN BETTER is guest edited by Bureau A and the first issue of CARTHA´s cycle on The Form of Form in association with the Lisbon Architecture Triennale.

Featuring the work of:

– Amateur Cities
– Stapenhorst Dutto
– Farquet architectes
– Tristan Lavoyer
– åbäke
– Dieter Dietz / Alice
– Titi Balali, Shirana Shabazi, Manuel Krebs
– Sam Jacob
– Luis Urculo

When: Friday, 10 June, from 6 to 9 pm
Where: Café Paradiso, 21 Rue des Bains, 1205 Geneva