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 Buenos Aires, Berlin, Montréal 3 UNESCO Design Cities |
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What could these very different cities possibly have in common? Well, for starters, they’ve each been selected as an official “UNESCO City of Design.” And each has a reputation for creativity, innovation and quirkiness. While the majesty of Buenos Aires and Berlin is dramatic, Montreal’s magic plays out in edgier, more subtle ways.
In August 2005, Buenos Aires became the first “UNESCO City of Design.” Berlin followed suit in November of that year, while Montreal received the honour in May 2006. To qualify, each had to meet basic requirements laid out by UNESCO’s Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity, which awards the designation for an unspecified period once the criteria are met. While the three ‘cities of design’ are at enormously differing stages in their urban development (or redevelopment), the fact remains that even limited encouragement from an institution like UNESCO can work synergistic wonders among the movers and shakers in political, civic, and design circles. By providing a pan-urban framework, varied disciplines (landscaping, graphic arts, architecture, urban planning, interior design, industrial design, fashion design, web design, etc.) can better collaborate on design-related projects that have a positive impact on the city’s day-to-day life.
The three current “City of Design” title holders, all considered creative hubs, distinguish themselves with policies and projects that valorize the role of design in their efforts to promote social, urban and economic development. Designation as a UNESCO City of Design encourages a freer, broader exchange of ideas between the world’s design-minded: in coming years, we can expect to see festivals, workshops and other design-related events organized jointly between Buenos Aires, Berlin and Montreal. Given the nature of design, the convergence of creative forces from the three cities should in itself yield exciting new paths to explore...
Three continents, three cities, three stories
Though their histories could not be more different, the three cities selected by UNESCO seem to share a common feature: a recent disruption, an upheaval, which has forced each municipality to re-examine, reinvent and, in varying degrees, to rebuild itself.
Berlin’s history, closely tied to some of the most destructive conflicts of the last century, required the construction of a completely new urban identity – in both physical, political, and social terms. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1991, the reunified city has become one of Europe’s biggest construction sites. Internationally acclaimed architects such as Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, Daniel Libeskind and IM Pei have all participated in Berlin’s physical and symbolic rejoining. This massive building project has registered a few shortcomings; a certain “artificiality” has been created, according to some critics. Alongside these grands projets, Berlin has seen a boom in other, more personal forms of creative entrepreneurship: graphic-, fashion-, and web-designers are supported by a wide variety of galleries, workshops, agencies, offices, showrooms and trade fairs spread throughout the city. Berlin’s infrastructure and transport systems were upgraded when it was re-baptized as Germany’s capital. Current projects include high-speed ICE trains at the new Lehrte Station, along with an incredible new Berlin-Brandenburg airport at Schönefeld, which is scheduled for completion in 2010.
In Buenos Aires, design proved to be not only an issue of urban survival, but also a valuable economic tool. In 2001, a turbulent political history clashed with an economic meltdown, placing severe strain on B.A.’s viability as a major urban player. “Porteño” (as B.A. residents are known) pride and energy, however, came to the rescue, restoring grace and vitality to the port city’s legendary European-influenced design. In less than four years, Buenos Aires not only staged a comeback – it has surpassed itself with a new wave of urban betterment. Due to a crippling lack of resources, local designers had to be doubly clever in their renovations. Their brainstorming paid off: tourists and investors are now flooding the city, enamoured by its creativity and bustle. Big names like Starck and Foster have come to make their mark, converting industrial buildings and designing cafés and boutique hotels in trendy areas like the Puerto Madero Docks or Palermo. Stunning design can also be seen on a grander scale in the new bridges and public transit system – accomplishments that give the ‘Made in Buenos Aires’ label a cutting-edge cachet.
Montreal’s financial crisis was less devastating, but the city’s social fabric was torn by a rift between French- and English- speakers, sparked by a desire for Quebec’s independence from Canada among the many Francophones. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, many Anglophones left Montreal, which generated a panic among investors, many of whom moved their businesses out of the province. This, in turn, put a hold on many urban projects, cancelling some, and contributing to a heated political environment. This overall squeeze on resources affected Montreal designers much as it did their colleagues in Buenos Aires: new adversity actually boosted motivation, creativity and overall cleverness. Montreal’s approach is more subtle than B.A.’s, and better diffused throughout the city. The Montreal design “brand” is still a work in progress, slowly and carefully unfolding across the cityscape, supported by a full cadre of world-class design talent. Remarkable projects like the Quartier international de Montréal, Benny Farm and the TOHU all represent the ‘Montreal style,’ a seamless quilting within an urban visual patchwork, distinguished by state-of-the-art technology and increasingly oriented toward a theme of sustainability.
Another field, web design, has received considerable support from the Société des Arts et Technologies. Montreal’s web professionals are now some of the most talked-about on the continent. All three ‘Cities of Design’ share common challenges: signage issues, harmonization of materials within an urban landscape, colour use, sidewalk and façade maintenance, etc... What is lacking is an overall vision to protect the cityscape from the endless onslaught of property developers, who all too often excel mainly at the destruction of a neighbourhood’s charm and soul.
Egodesign.ca
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