TOPICS: MODELING PARIS in Summer 2026 (AR1091-3WK1)

The challenges of planning and shaping a capital city like Paris, along with the fascination it has long inspired, have over the years given rise to imaginative visions and bold, unexpected utopian projects. The aim of this course is to offer each student the opportunity to develop a forward-looking vision of Paris, expressed through the design and production of a scale model of a personal project situated at the intersection of art and architecture.

In the first phase of the course, we will explore a range of inspiring resources to stimulate ideas and support project brainstorming. These will include the foundational principles of utopian projects developed by architects, designers, and artists from different periods, most notably the radical utopians of the 1960s–70s (Archigram, Archizoom, Superstudio, 9999, Yona Friedman), French utopian visions from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as well as contemporary practices such as those of Ilya and Emilia Kabakov.These historical and critical references will be placed in dialogue with futuristic urban visions and speculative perspectives on the evolution of our ways of living, drawn from science fiction cinema and literature, along with selected research themes from contemporary labs such as the MIT Media Lab.

A specific site in Paris will be selected as the focus of the course. We will conduct an investigation on site and analyze maps, plans, and the historical identity of the location. This research will form the foundation of each student’s project. The issues and potentials revealed by this site will then be explored in relation to future-oriented perspectives on the evolution of the city and urban space.Based on this research, each student will begin developing a personal project using a range of conceptual and technical tools, including a short written statement, sketches, conceptual models, scaled drawings, collages and photomontages. This process will lead to the fabrication of a final scale model.

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