The
review was created in 1958 by the Helsinki group of the CIAM (International
Congress of Modern Architecture). The title is borrowed from a
composition by Mondrian representing a blue square. It stresses
the relation between the review and contemporary art
The objective is to consider architecture as an ARTISTICAL
CREATION, hence the necessity to subtract it from the short time
interests while responding in the same time to essential needs
of contemporary life.
Since its foundation, “Le Carre Bleu” has been
partially or totally bilingual. From 2001 it has been trilingual
(also in Italian). Its form is based on a square of 22 X 22 cm.
From its creation to 1969,”Le Carré Bleu” was published
under the form of a folded paper of 4 to 6 pages.
Since 1969, the review has been assembled under the form of
single issues or double issues (approximately 100 pages).
André Shimmerlinmg has been the director of Le Carré
Bleu since 1958 till 2002; since 1969 with the major
contribution of Philippe Fouquey, rédacteur en chef.
The head office of the review was in Helsinki till
1962, transferred afterwards to Paris in 1963. An association (loi
de 1901) became in charge of the edition the same year (“les
Amis du Carre Bleu”).
Architects of international reputation were
contributing to the review and many projects presented for the
first time in 'Le Carré Bleu' were realised afterwards. For
instance:
- the free university of Berlin (Georges Candilis,
Alexis Josic, Shadrach Woods)
- campus of Urbino, Italy (Giancarlo de Carlo).
- linear centre of Rotterdam (Jacob B. Bakema)
- the City of Science (Pica Ciamarra Associati)
The various contributions to 'Le Carre Bleu" may
be schematically grouped in three categories:
- emphasis on the architectural form
- emphasis on the (social) function
- emphasis on the constructive structure
In the occasion of the 30th of le Carré Bleu, the CCI
Centre Pompidou has published "L’Heritage des CIAM
1858/1988" (with a text by
Andrée Shimmerling).
Since June 1994, the review has organised a series of
colloquiums in Paris about the “Architect and the
Power”. It later promoted the
foundation of the Observatoire internationale de l’Architecture
- O.I.A
which, in 1997, drew up the Proposal for European
Directive for Architecture and the Environment.
In May 1999, it organised a competition of ideas
between students of European schools of architecture, on the
subject “Mobility and urbanity”.
In
2001, the publication stopped with no particular reasons; in the
meantime, through a number of meetings, the last of which was “Mémoire
en Mouvement” in Paris / Centre Pompidou (after the end of
the exhibition (24.09.2005-08.01.2006) “Team 10 / 1953-81 A
Utopia of the Present” at the Netherlands Architecture
Institute (Nai), Rotterdam) the new Cercle de Rédaction launched
a “manifesto” “Fragments / Symbiose”
The Carrè Bleu can be found in North America, Europe,
Africa and Asia, in great bookshops, in schools of architecture
and some public libraries. Le Carré Bleu, a totally independent
international review, born for the expression of ideas, is
addressed:
• to the professionals of architecture, of planning and
of environmental sciences, and for some thematical issues, to
engineers of building structures, to landscape architects, to
professionals of human sciences.
• to readers interested in transdisciplinary features
in order to understand changes in the realm of cities and urban
societies.
• to students, for the theoretical approaches provided
by the review:
- in
order to deal with the contexts of professional practice and
international projects
- in
order to understand theoretical positions and some practical
innovations open to debate and to analyse some subjects more in
depth.
The review intends to participate in the training of
generations of professionals working in pluridisciplinary teams
who take into account the social conditions, constraints and
potentialities of their projects and works.
Since 2006, through a series of meetings, the last of
which has been "Memoire in Mouvement"
in Paris / Centre Pompidou, le Carré Bleu has reviewed his line
conferring the direction to Massimo Pica Ciamarra (among the
collaborators since the ‘60s) and has redefined the Cercle de
Rédaction (composed by French, Italian and Finnish personalities)
entrusting Luciana de Rosa of its coordination. Later have
joined the CdR also members from Belgium and Portugal.
Since 2007, with the High Patronage of UNESCO, le CB
launched l’”Appel à international idée – une idée pour
chaque ville” for
shortlisting a number of projects designed by young architects
living in Mediterranean Countries, offering paid stages in high
reputation practices.
In 2008, on the occasion of the fifty years of Le Carré
Bleu at the Palais de Chaillot- Paris the project has been
presented of the "Declaration of the Human Duties"
towards the habitat and the lifestyle
In 2012, the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine,
Palais de Chaillot / Paris, has completed the digitization of
the entire collection of CB, since n°1/1958, regularly updated
on this site where,. corresponding to the year 1988, are also
reproduced both the text and the slides of "L’Heritage
des CIAM 1858/1988", CCI
Centre Pompidou 1988
Le
Carré Bleu, feuille internationale d’architecture, is a
candidate for “The 2013 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award”,
of “UN-Habitat / for a better human future”
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