Orban space

THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORBANISM

The studio's most important point of intrest or issue, the earth being more important than its architecture, is immediately apparent in T.O.P. office's logo. Indeed, influenced by an upcoming ecology, Luc Deleu realized during his studies that building little or nothing might well be the best architectural contribution to the third millenium. The explicit urbanistic ambitions of architecture in the twentieth century now even appeared too restricted for the future. Urbanism would become Orbanism. From now on the architect would also focus on the planet.

PROJECTS AND JOURNEYS

Several projects and journeys are linked to the development of orbanism.
The "Mobile Medium University" (project out of competition for the University Institutions of Antwerp, 1972), which should be seen in that perspective, brought about more projects and journeys. At first, on request of the UIA, the "journey around the world in 80 days" is developed (1991-1993). This cartographic project is a study of possible journeys around the world with Madrid and its antipode Weber in New Zealand as geographical poles. In 1999, Luc Deleu and Laurette Gillemot undertake a "journey around the world in 72 days", resulting a.o. in a photomontage "Weber over Madrid". Then, in 2002-2003, a journey to Auckland with again, but now more sophisticated, a photomontage "Academical Upgrade 2&3 Setenil over Auckland".

THE PROJECT "THE ORBAN SPACE" 2006-2010

"The Orban Space" consequently develops the studio's catalogue. The project has three parts :
Research by design
Sailing around the world
Mobile teacher and candidate for a doctor's degree through ICT

Research by design

This research started in Spring 2006 with an analysis of (urban and orban) public space in order to compose a contemporary theory of and a new paradigm for the public realm. First of all, this analysis consists of defining and classifying different types of public space on a planetary scale, then looking for links, priorities and hierarchies between different kinds of common spaces. Their use and appearance is studied, how they structure the city and the world, and also how infrastructures contribute.

In the book "Urbi et Orbi" Luc Deleu already wrote that globalisation and deregulation - la pensée unique - also reflect in the contemporary urbanism and city and that therefore a twentyfirst-century concept for community spaces and a new ethical paradigm for urban planning regulations is needed. He argumented that, as the art of city building must serve public rather than private interests, these decisions exclusively belong to the authorities' competence. So society will streamline the architectural concept and, with the protection and design of public space, the authorities will be able to stand out on the forum. In short, public space presented itself as a priority for the art of city building.
He once again repeated that designing homes does belong to architecture - it belongs to the occupants - but on the contrary the large scale organisation of housing, its urban equipment included, does belong to the domain of the art of (city) building. Not people's kitchens and bathrooms, but public space is the place par excellence for public authorities to fight the increasing pressure on space.

He also started a definition of our universal space with an unprecedented differentiation and a planetary perspective. The urban scale was situated on earth (the orban space), the general public space and our environment. He of course named a wide variety of scales, from universal common spaces (like oceans), national and regional common spaces (like landscapes), urban or rural communal spaces up to squares, streets and alleys. The common spaces were subdivided in forbidden, inaccessible, partly of completely accessible areas, they could be easy or difficult to reach, they could be hidden and dangerous or safe, attractive or repulsive…
On the urban scale also a wide range of public and private spaces was listed. It already started with the surrounding landscape (neo-landscape) of which, in certain cases, a small or large part might be an integral part of the city (a view on the sea, on a river, a panorama or horizon for instance).

Then the negative city, the cityscape, the form and spatiality of the city or the urban void. Here the forum or agora was classified as a very specific part of public space with, again, different additional spaces that could each be exterior, covered or interior. Then a further combination of communal spaces such as free spaces or residual spaces, infrastructural spaces, spaces for car traffic, for cyclists or pedestrians - shared or separate - and also pseudo-public spaces, semi-public or semi-private spaces.
He demonstrated that all these typical spaces, their interconnection and their relation to the private world make an interesting program for the art of (city) building.

Sailing around the world

Invited by Bernard Blondeel, art-dealer and owner of La Malu II, with whom Luc Deleu has a lasting relation, first as an artist, then as an architect and later as a skilled crew member of La Malu I and II, he will participate in a journey around the world on the sailing yacht, a journey which will take about 30 months in different stages and will start in 2007.
Next to his obligations as a crew member of La Malu II, Luc Deleu will conduct field research for his project "The Orban Space", keeping in close internet contact with the home base T.O.P. office, managed by Isabelle De Smet and Steven Van den Bergh, where the project will be materialised into that new paradigm.

Mobile teacher and doctorate through ICT

September 1, 2009 Luc Deleu will be 65, he will then probably be somewhere between the Sea of Timor and the Indian Ocean, and his career as a teacher will come to an end. At the beginning of his career he designed the "Mobile Medium University" for Antwerp on three aircraft carriers sailing around the world, on board of La Malu II and by means of the Toledo-software for e-learning of the association K.U. Leuven and other ICT tools, he will mark the end of his academic career at the High Institute of Science and Art and at the High Institute Sint-Lukas with a sustainable statement.
During his two last academical years he will study virtual space and its use through real e-learning in cyberspace and discover, together with his students, the new opportunities, possibilities and difficulties of a multi medium university. As artistic fellow of "The Platform" at the University Association Brussels (UAB) he will integrate his research into his doctorate of the arts. With this project he will offer the students a dazzling impression of the links he will try to make between many different universes, namely the art scene, the urbanistic and architectural world, the academic field, his professional activities, his teaching and his research "Orban Space", resulting into a stunning overall concept and so the the circle from "Mobile Medium University" to "Orban Space" will be complete.

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