Architectural Congress at glasstec 2012 – Appearances + Perspectives

The Congress has become a fixed component in the supporting programme of the leading international trade fair of the glass industry that, thanks to its comprehensive range of glass products for architectural purposes, attracts a large number of architects and building designers.The “architectural congress”, sponsored by the Chamber of Architects of North Rhine-Westphalia (AKNW), the Technical University of Delft and Ostwestfalen-Lippe University, attracts renowned presenters who introduce their projects concerning remarkable and creative use of glass in the building shell. The focus is on issues concerning the design of buildings against the backdrop of the current sustainability and energy consumption discussion, as well as on consideration of the future value of aesthetics with regards to buildings.
With a view to sustainable construction, glass is a very important material, and this applies not only to the energy balance of a building. Technological progress opens up to architects and designers more and more opportunities for creative and aesthetic use of this material,” says Professor Ulrich Knaack, Technical University Delft / Ostwestfalen-Lippe University, who will be the moderator during the Congress.
The list of presenters at the Architectural Congress includes renowned architects, for example, Enrique Sobejano and Fuensanta Nieto/Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos (“The Identity of Spaces”), Thomas Auer/Transsolar (“Climate Design and Architecture”), Kai-Uwe Bergmann/BIG (“Hedonistic Sustainability”) or Brendan Macfarlane/Jakob + Macfarlane (“The Freedom of Shape”). “Window and mirror are metaphors that George Steiner linked to the perception of the exterior world – objective – and to the thoughts on the interior world – subjective. Both images, which strangely coincide in a same material – clear or reflective glass – become for us a representation of the limit and the combinatorial thinking, architectural concepts that reflect the specificity and multiplicity that form the basis of every project”, Enrique Sobejano explains the value of glass in his work.
The “architectural congress” is held at the Congress Center East/Ost of the Düsseldorf Exhibition Center and starts on 24 October at 9:00 AM. At 2:30 PM, there will be a guided tour of the glasstec Special Show “glass technology live”, where future-oriented glass products and applications are shown in connection with an architectural context. The “architectural congress” is recognised as a continuous education event for members of the AKNW in the specialisations architecture and interior design as 4 instructional hours, registration number 12-0810-001.
Conference language is either German or English. Simultaneous interpretation is offered into the respective other language. Tickets cost € 49 and are available online at www.glasstec.de. They include two-day admission to glasstec/solarpeq 2012. Information on further offers for architects and structural engineers is also available after a click on the corresponding icon. glasstec is held from 23 to 26 October 2012 at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Center.