Monday, April 11, 2011

Thursday, April 7, 2011

On March 16, Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) launched Studio-X Rio, the sixth in a series of Studio-X laboratories that consider the challenges of urban development in cities around the world. The other labs, located in Amman, Beijing, Moscow, Mumbai and New York, facilitate collaboration between Columbia students and faculty and the best architects and urban developers in the host country. The labs have been described by GSAPP Dean Mark Wigley as "the first truly global network for real-time exchange of projects, people and ideas between regional leadership cities." Studio-X Rio hopes to continue in this tradition, offering students, educators and developers the opportunity to collaborate and creatively address the most pressing problems arising from urbanization. The schedule of opening events at the launch included a welcome with Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio, and workshops similar to those that will be offered at the laboratory. Brazilian architect Pedro Rivera, the director of Studio-X Rio, described the layout of the laboratory: "The basic concept is very simple-- an empty space with an espresso machine." He also hopes to organize lectures, workshops and exhibitions to complement the studio work accomplished at Studio-X. To learn more about the Studio-X project, and the Rio lab specifically, please click here. You can also check out photos of the launch on our Facebook page.