Presentation by Léa-Catherine Szacka followed by the film City Dreamers

Tuesday 12 April 2022
6 p.m. – Presentation by Léa-Catheirne Szacka
6.30 p.m. – City Dreamers, documentary by Joseph Hillel, 1h36, vostfr
Archizoom Galery, SG building, EPFL

We owe the city of today largely to four outstanding architects who shared the ‘dream’ of a resolutely human and inclusive city. Phyllis Lambert, Blanche Lemco van Ginkel, Denise Scott Brown and Cornelia Hahn Oberlander have left visible traces of their pioneering work in several cities in Europe and America. For decades they observed and shaped the city with decisive perseverance, freedom of thought and visionary spirit.

A must-see documentary to understand contemporary urban dynamics and to regain hope in the perpetual metamorphosis of our cities.

“After the Second World War, few women had access to the very male profession of architecture, even though there was no shortage of work. Many European centres had been destroyed, while cities in Europe and America were struggling to cope with their growing populations and increasing car traffic.

The city had to be rethought. Dreaming of a more humane urban environment, the four protagonists of our film broke into this boys’ club and began to create the city of tomorrow. Their story is that of women in today’s society and in a world that was becoming more open and inclusive.

Denise, Phyllis, Blanche and Cornelia, now aged 87 to 97, are the heart and soul of this documentary. Although these four committed citizens are seen in a historical context, they are firmly part of the modern world.” Joseph Hillel 

For more information on the movie, click here.

Léa–Catherine Szacka (b.1979, Montréal) is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Architectural Studies at the University of Manchester and visiting tutor at the Berlage. In 2021-2022 she is Guest Academic at ETH Zurich.

Léa–Catherine Szacka studied architecture at Université de Montréal and the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV) (Bsc, MArch) before embarking on a PhD in History and Theory of Architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (PhD, 2012). Szacka’s work focuses on the history and theory of postmodern architecture, with a particular focus on media and curating.

For more information, click here.

A program organized with Michela Bonomo.