News

The beauty and the beast

Field specialists and investors gathered at an international architectural forum, held in Sofia on September 18 and 19 at the Sheraton Hotel.

The event, the first of its kind, stimulated dialogue and exchange of ideas, as well as gave the opportunity for various Bulgarian and European architectural studios to highlight their achievements.

Divided into four themes, Sofia Architecture Week (SAW) 2008, tabled issues such as sustainable architecture and urban revival, commercial space as public space and transitions in south-eastern Europe.

“The big question many investors ask themselves is why invest in architects, when they behave like artists who do not seem to care about unprofitability,” Dominique Lyon of du Besset-Lyon architects urbanistes studio in Paris, asked amid murmurs from the audience. He advised developers to invest in specific products to encourage diversity, because many professionals around the world settle for the same easy patterns.

Speaking of sustainable architecture, Lyon showed examples illustrating how his studio was applying the concept. Their buildings were constructed mainly with glass, and had soft, simple shapes.

For the full article, see sofiaecho.com

September 26 2008