Information


The GAUDI programme is supported by the Culture 2000 programme of the European Union.

A2: Merge and develop archival collections on architecture and urban development

Objectives

This project aims at allowing the broader audience to locate architectural archives and at helping architects in the management and devolution of their archives.

The current web sites of each participating institution provide information chiefly limited to a list of archives ("fonds") and few catalogs. GAUDI's web site will be a portal covering the main sites related to the architectural archives in the partners' countries. Future developments will cover more European countries.

Helping architects in practice to handle their archives and program their devolution to a specialised centre is a new task. GAUDI has allowed for a survey of the situation and for the writing of specifications to that purpose.

The growing use of CAD (computer aided design) software will promote a harmonisation of practice, but the issue of digital archives is a particularly pressing one. Establishing contact with the professionals in order to improve public access to their archival collections will be a first step for the definition of criteria to deal on an European base with digital documents.

Nature of the action

The GAUDI web site (see project C1) will include a department allowing for access to all the listings of architectural archives involved in the project. More in-depth research is possible in the specific sites of the institutions.

Specifications dealing with professionals will be based on a survey organised in 2002-2003 in the various countries involved. Collective interpretation of the survey will lead to the compilation of one or several specific handbooks presented in electronic form on the website.

Proposed Audience

This project is geared not only towards the researchers and scholars, but chiefly towards owners and occupants of historical buildings who in this fashion will gain access to data concerning their buildings and the respective architects. It is also geared towards architects who are concerned with the future of their documents, to archivists and to professionals working in the field of maintenance and restoration.

Products-Expected results

A handbook dealing with the preservation and the cataloguing of the archival funds of modern architecture in Europe is the end product planned. This handbook will have to take into account the diversity of professional practice in term of firm size and legal status.

Distribution

Building of a website parallel to GAUDI's website, and presenting both the portal and the handbooks with guidelines.

Specific publications of the handbook published in co-ordination with the local professional organisations in the respective countries will be considered.

Calendar

Year 1
Set up the working group
Inquiry with archivists and users, dealing with methodology and the expectations for future products

Year 2
Local investigation parties
Meetings for debriefing and analysis of local fieldwork

Year 3
Synthesis of reports and analyses
Writing of handbooks and specifications

Project leader:

David Peyceré / IFA (Institut Français d'Architecture), France

Members of the steering committee:

CIVA (Centre International pour la ville, l’Architecture et le Paysage), Belgium
MFA (Museum of Finnish Architecture), Finland
DAM (Deutsches Architektur-Museum), Germany
NAI (Nederlands Architektuurinstitut), Netherlands

Other members of the group

RIBA (Royal Board of British Architects), England
Accademia di architetture di Mendrisio, Switzerland
IUAV (Istituto universitario di architetture di Venezia), Italy
OARP (Ordine degli architetti di Roma e provincia), Italy

Projects fields

Overview - What is GAUDI?

A: Research, memory and project

A1: Identify and interpret innovative housing in Europe
A2: Merge and develop archival collections on architecture and urban development
A3: Workshops for young professionals
A4: Database on public spaces

B: Education and dissemination to the general public

B1: Citizen participation in urban development projects
B2: Club of Leaders committed to Architecture
B3: European Festival for Architecture

C: Strengthen the network of European institutions

C1: Create and develop a joint web site
C2: Coordination of the agreement