Abstract
While scientist all over the world try to define the Anthropocene, a multi-disciplinary approach towards this concept opens new possibilities in finding unconventional premises for the era dominated by human actions. One possible beginning of the Anthropocene, as suggested by the Anthropocene Working Group, is related to the first nuclear bomb in 1945 and the nuclear tests in the 50’, with significant impact on the entire planet in the 60’. Coincidentally, in the same time, in a completely different context, an isolated and apparently irrelevant event marks a turning point for a new age in building the environment. In 1953 Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay reached for the first time the highest peak on Earth, the Everest summit. This represented symbolically the last and most difficult redoubt of wild, dangerous and virgin territories. From that moment a peripheral anthropic phenomenon started to intensify: high altitude architecture. The result was a significant and probably irreversible mutation in human relationship towards nature. From basic shelters to hi-tech buildings and infrastructure, high altitude architecture enhanced mass access into dangerous and inaccessible zones. The new built environments had slowly lost the character life-threatening zones, where the lack of oxygen and extreme natural phenomena restrict human living. Mountains have been consequently transformed into brands and products ready to be consumed. Building at high altitudes had fundamentally changed the human approach towards nature and altered nature’s dominant character, marking on a conceptual level, a possible beginning of the Anthropocene.
Presenters
Ana Maria MachedonAssociate Professor, Synthesis of Architectural Design, University of Architecture and Urbanism "Ion Mincu", Bucharest, Bucuresti, Romania
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2021 Special Focus: Building the Anthropocene
KEYWORDS
HIGH ALTITUDE ARCHITECTURE, WILD TERRITORIES, ANTHROPIC ELEMENTS, MUTATIONS
