The 7th edition of the National Architecture Days, which will take place on October 14, 15 and 16, offers an exciting exploration of housing and other «Architectures to inhabit».
For three days, architecture is seen in all its richness and diversity. Launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Culture, the National Days of Architecture (JNA) are entering their seventh edition this year with nearly 1,200 events organized with the City of Architecture and Heritage, the architectural, urban and environmental councils (CAUE) , the houses of architecture, the network of Cities and Countries of Art and History, the National Higher Schools of Architecture and many professionals.
« The aim of these days is to show the general public that architecture concerns them every day. Their accommodation, the entrance to the metro, their school, their office: all that is involved in everyday life is architecture ” explains Corinne Langlois, Deputy Director of Architecture, Quality of Construction and Living Environment at the Ministry of Culture.
A theme, the architectures to inhabit
This year, the theme is «Architectures to inhabit». This theme will allow the public to discover inhabited places, be it the housing itself but also, in a broader sense, the surrounding neighbourhood. « Housing production, the basic housing unit, is an important activity for the architect. Indeed, he designs spaces that allow intimacy but also the encounter of others, from the closest to the neighbors by going to the unknown in the street ” continues Corinne Langlois. Participants will learn, for example, how architects combine building quality and the well-being of occupants with new, more resource-efficient techniques.
The JNA is also a unique opportunity for many architects to discover their profession, either by opening the doors of their agency or by making discover their achievements. « The public can visit with an architect a building he has designed or an ongoing operation. They will be able to cross a city or a rural territory to understand how these everyday spaces are made that we no longer look at ” continues Corinne Langlois. This includes, collectively or individually, meetings in the public space, urban walks, educational workshops and online events.
“Look up!” for the young audience
The first day of this event, Friday, October 14, will be dedicated to young people with the fourth edition of the “Look up!” , a joint initiative of the Ministries of Culture and National Education and Youth. The school public, from kindergarten to grade 12, will be invited to open their eyes, observe the architecture that surrounds them and decipher the landscapes of the city and the countryside. « Architecture is a very rich subject from an educational point of view because it makes it possible to address several points of the school curriculum: obviously the history that is translated at each time in space, the oral expression to describe what we see, the geometry in space, physics and the 'earth sciences and life' when nature is evoked in the city ” notes Corinne Langlois. For them, a special program was set up, mainly based on experimentation, play and manipulation.
Seven agencies nominated for the National Grand Prix of Architecture
It is the highest national distinction in the field of architecture. Created in 1975, the National Grand Prix of Architecture (GPNA) will be delivered on Thursday, October 13. It rewards an architecture agency for its entire production and for its contribution to the evolution of the practice of the profession of architect.
Following the first meeting on September 7, the jury selected seven agencies that could win this award. The jury will meet again at the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine, to hear the seven nominees and this time nominate the 2022 winner.
The event will also be an opportunity to inaugurate the exhibition dedicated to Pierre-Louis Faloci at the City of Architecture and Heritage. Designed as part of the Grand Prix national de l'architecture, of which Pierre-Louis Faloci is the 2018 laureate, the exhibition is a carte blanche given to the architect to explain his approach and retrace his career.
Visit individual architect’s houses
Alongside this national event, the Days to Live, organized by À Vivre edition, will be held on 15 and 16 October. During this day, the public will be able to discover nearly three hundred places throughout the national territory. Visits of about forty-five minutes will be conducted by a duo formed by the designer architect and the owner of the accommodation. All types of housing and works are proposed: new houses, apartments, renovations, rehabilitation or extensions. Before this day, the architects proposed their achievements to the selection committee. Once selected, projects are posted online for visitors to choose which tours to register for. The map of visitable projects is available on the website of the event.
