Modern cities like Sydney becoming ‘ghettos of rich people’, architects warn | juliepower
Modern cities such as Sydney are becoming “ghettos of rich people” where few working people can afford to live, award-winning architects Jean-Philippe Vassal and Anne Lacaton warn., in 2021 for a series of projects where they refused to raze existing public housing, apartment blocks and museums.Nick Moir
Cities had become “speculative spaces” because of the rising value of land compared with the relatively low cost of construction. “Living well in the big city is the most important challenge of our time and our generation,” Lacaton said. “This issue involves many crucial topics and challenges, such as climate change, sustainability, energy savings, cost of the land, densification, affordability, integration, social equality and, simply, quality of life. Any strategy for making the city starts from the quality of housing for all.
Working with architect Frederic Druot, the couple transformed a 1960s Parisian public housing block and increased the size of each unit by removing the concrete facade, and adding balconies. In other housing projects, they have restored the original blocks and added new units on the grounds in a similar style.
The couple developed their philosophy in the 1980s as new graduates visiting Nigeria, where they built their first home – a straw hut with a thatched roof – out of what few materials they could find. They added a shaded area to sit with friends outside.“Transforming the city means coming back to what we learnt in Africa, and using what already exists,” Vassal told the audience at the Seymour. “It means making do, with the people, with the climate, with minimum materials.
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