IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

This paper and presentation explores the architectural and urban challenges presented by Anthropocene landscapes such as landfills, nuclear test areas, and disassembly yards. These realms, repositories of excess or toxic substances, diverge sharply from traditional cultural heritage, necessitating a reevaluation through the theoretical frameworks of Easterling’s Extra-State and Subtraction, Lefebvre’s Rhythmanalysis, and Haraway’s Tentacular Thinking. This study critically assesses these neglected spaces as potential pivots for ecological and cultural futures, integrating Easterling’s localized interventions and Haraway’s multispecies inclusivity with Brenner and Schmid’s expansive notion of Planetary Urbanization. The research, initiated from a collaboration between a team at the Waste Isolation Project Plant (WIPP) and the author’s Final Project Design studio at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture, utilizes case studies like nuclear waste repositories (WIPP, Cactus Dome), the rising seas in the Maldives or the Tianjin Port Accident to highlight the need for contingency-based architectural strategies aligned with long-term eco-social sustainability. These interventions aim to balance global urban influences with local specificities and enhance the integration of these sites into collective memory and cultural identity. The presentation and paper promotes a nuanced understanding of urban spaces, infusing Keller Easterling’s concept of ‘error’ as a productive force in the constitution of future urban landscapes. Advocating for a reimagined concept of heritage, it views landscapes as dynamic, integral elements of our urban ecosystems. This approach discusses urban futures, where diverse historical and ecological narratives are actively engaged in the redevelopment processes, crafting urban environments that are multi-modal in their understanding of heritage.