Genesis Lectures

Genesis is an architecture lecture series on the theme of the genesis of the architectural design and is held at University of Pisa every spring. Up-to-date lecturers: 2016: Tony Fretton, Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra, Ricardo Bak Gordon e Dietmar Eberle. 2017: Sou Fujimoto, Studio TAMassociati, Elisa Valero Ramos. Genesis is conceived and organised by students from the Architectural Engineering course of the Engineering School – University of Pisa. The genesis of a design is an intimate and creative process. Thoughts, feelings, experiences, and location all play an important role in shaping an idea. But what is it exactly? Is it pure inspiration, analysis, or the outcome of a precise creative process? The uniqueness of the design genesis is bound to the moment of the intuition that often acts like a lightning in the storm of our thoughts. It seems to be matter of timing, of seizing the day. And after the idea arrives, things get even more interesting: how much do you have to protect, safeguard, and look after that idea? On the other hand, how much do you have to tweak, change, or revolutionize it? The genesis of a design is something complex, challenging, tangling, and at the same time extraordinarily powerful. It is the inception and the very fi rst step made by the architect in moulding the space. So, our questions are: How does a project begin? How much to modify or protect the initial idea? When do you stop?