The Bands and The Wave: Narratives in Architecture

Abstract

The article describes the process of two architecture works developed in the last year by Oslo Architecture School’s Scarcity and Creativity Studio in the far northern and far southern hemispheres. In the introduction, the concept of “narrative” is analysed, referring to the difficulty of incorporating this concept into architectural discourse, which rarely deals with the transformation process in itself. It subsequently evokes, through narratives, the historic and geographic context in which the first of these works is developed: “The Bands”, a centre for artistic production located in Norway that reutilizes three small buildings occupied by cod fishers during the beginning of the 20th Century. The architectural work, the client and the design process are described in detail. Finally, the article reviews the context of the second work, “The Wave”, an amphitheatre for a collective in Valparaiso whose objective is to replace Chile’s neoliberal structure. As in the first case, the historic context is evoked, as well as the design process, the client and the social context in which the project is developed.