HITAM
Floor plan of the first level of the Haus des Rundfunks designed by Hans Poelzig in its design development face (1931). Source: TU Berlin Architekturmuseum, Inv. Nr. 4620.
The Laboratory for History and Theories of Architecture, Technology and Media (HITAM) at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is situated within the School of Architecture, Civil & Environmental Engineering (ENAC). The interdisciplinary group directed by Alfredo Thiermann focuses on researching and teaching the history of architecture as it intersects with different technical media.
The history of architecture has been traditionally understood in relation to the production and circulation of materials, goods, and people. Expanding this historical limitation, the work of the Laboratory for History and Theories of Architecture, Technology and Media focuses on the history of architecture and its entanglements with the production, storage, transmission, and reception of information. In a contemporary world defined by the fascination and anxiety triggered by the ubiquitous presence of information and its expanded technological apparatus, the laboratory seeks to interrogate—with historical depth—the social, political, economic, and ecological dimensions of this condition. Far from understanding this phenomenon as ephemeral and immaterial, the work of our laboratory focuses on the built and material aspects of this condition. We pursue teaching, research projects, and exhibitions that resonate with or expand from this set of interests.
