FOREIGN
Rethinking Cultural Centers in European Dimension (RECcORD)
According to Eriksson et al. (2017), cultural centers have pursued a number of
objectives. Promoting active participation through cultural and artistic activities,
revitalizing abandoned industrial buildings and regenerating neglected urban areas, and
fostering creativity, community, networks, entrepreneurship, and innovation are just a few
examples. It is a type of cultural institution that combines art and creative activities with
spaces and technical facilities for exhibitions, rehearsals, performances, and workshops
and with a focus on diversity (a wide range of activities, users and user groups), civic
engagement, volunteer involvement, and openness to bottom-up initiatives. The centers
are usually intimately linked to the local community, they operate on a limited budget (with
a combination of public and private support as well as tickets/fees), they provide open
and flexible venues, and they blend professional and amateur, cultural and social
activities.
Cultural centers have the potential to become key venues for citizen participation
in everyday cultural, social, and democratic activities. "Citizen participation" is regularly
emphasized as a crucial goal in cultural centers. Despite differences in structure, size,
economy, and facilities, they all strive to engage citizens in (volunteer) socio-cultural
activities. This goal is at the heart of the centers, which makes it all the more fascinating
to learn more about them and, in particular, how they manage to involve citizens.
The European Network of Cultural Centers (ENCC) highlights the value of cultural
center engagement and defines its fundamental values as follows:
“cultural equality, interculturalism, democratisation and active citizenship through participation in
cultural and artistic activities. The outcome of active participation in arts and culture on an
individual
level
is
personal
development
as
well
as
development
in
society”
(https://encc.eu/about)
Eriksson et al. (2017) conclude based on their study that Cultural centers require
a high level of participation. The researchers defined the following forms of participation:
1. Attention – Cultural activities
2. Education – Learning Activities
3. Co-creation
4. Co-inhabitation – Sharing spaces with other cultural agencies
5. Publics – Interaction
6. Co-decision – Engaging equal and shared decision making
Key Effects of Participation in Cultural Center:

Aesthetic Intensity

Feeling of togetherness

Social Inclusion

Wellbeing

Learning

Empowerment

Cultural Reflection

Local Development

Sustainability
Typology (according to Eriksson et al. (2017)):
Regional Hub
o It serves as a focal point for cultural events in the city/region, as well as a
key component in the development of a thriving and enterprising
community.
o It is frequently housed in refurbished and up-scaled industrial structures.
-
Organizational Strengths
o Professional administration & stable economy
o Professional staff
o Urban and regional development
o Strong focus on leadership
-
Organizational Challenges
o Workload
o Shifting demands from local authorities
-
Participatory Strengths
o Key hub for cultural consumers
o Large program for education, attention and co-creation
o Co-inhabitation and wellbeing
ARCHITECTURE THESIS: CULTURAL CENTER
INDRAPRASTHA SANSKRITIC KALA KENDRA, DWARKA
Cited that it is critical that cultural center allow different cultures to cohabit while
also assisting each community in maintaining its cultural identity and therefore avoiding
disputes and tensions. A culturally sensitive design approach, it is suggested, could aid
in the creation of a diverse but cohesive society, resulting in a socially viable metropolitan
community.
"A community's cultural and creative development, as well as its continued vitality,
cohesion, identity, and sense of place, are all dependent on space planning."
Cultural Center

organizational building or complex that provides culture and arts

provide and focuses for cultural and artistic development in the city and helping to
shape and support the cultural identity of the city
Impact

Cultural activities are great strategies for urban revitalization and redevelopment.

The democratization of culture, in the sense of providing access to as many
citizens as possible

The increase of the cohesion in the community, which goes together with the
struggle against exclusion of groups and individuals
ARCHITECTURAL THESIS: MULTI-PURPOSE CULTURAL CENTER
(Using Architecture as a catalyst for the development of vanishing cultural values)
India is a country which is completely filled with different types of cultures which
has divided into zones like south culture zone, north cultures, east etc. classifies based
on region, architectural style, religion, literature, art, painting, style, dance, crafts,
languages and other factors.
According to Soni (2020) on his architectural thesis on Multipurpose Cultural
Center, the aim is to create a small tourist center and design a cultural hub architecture
as a catalyst for the development of vanishing cultural values. Whereas its objectives are
to use the old architectural styles and cultures of the entire Chhattisgarh region, to focus
on the influence of culture, to respect overall expenses, to use more locally available
materials, and to fully incorporate the social and cultural values of the region with the help
of local labors in overall design and construction.
Design advantages:
-
Green space is provided at
relevant spaces
-
Aesthetically pleasing
-
Proper use of landscaping
throughout the structure
-
Vital
role
in
promoting
traditional values in the city
Design Disadvantages
-
Negative spaces occurred due to conceptual design and irregular cluster pattern
-
High site maintenance
DESIGNING A CULTURAL CENTER FOR THE COASTAL AND MOUNTAIN
PEOPLES OF TAIWAN
Chuei-Ming 1988
The goal of the thesis is to create a methodology for identifying various
architectural occurrences in different civilizations. I'll be able to establish vital architectural
features by analyzing a culture that retains vestiges of its traditional rituals. I'll be able to
base my design on cultural allusions if I have this knowledge. This research establishes
a method for identifying cultural variables that influence architectural shapes.
The process of discovering architectural phenomena explains cultural behaviors,
and descriptions of these behaviors reveal how a culture's tradition is represented in its
architectural forms. It should come as no surprise to anyone that traditions and rituals
change and adapt. The goal is to figure out how the existing social fabric preserves
traditions that influence living patterns. This is both culturally and architecturally
significant. Ghosts, for example, are dreaded in Yami culture, and residents border their
land with rocks to keep the ghosts away. The placement of the rocks determines the
public and private zones in architectural terms. These distinctions begin to explain how
culture works: there is no need to create borders or define the public sphere.
The creation of a center could serve to meet two essential cultural continuity
needs: statement of identity and preservation of artifacts and handicrafts. This will
improve the tribes' dignity as well as non-Originals' comprehension of their culture. Both
intra-tribal generational differences and racial friction with the greater community will be
lessened by recognizing and explaining their tribes' cultural heritage, because much of
the tension is created by misunderstanding and mystification.
To build a method of inquiry relevant to various cultures, as well as a tool to
familiarize the architect with an unknown culture, by examining the architectural forms of
these tribes. This tool, known as a cultural identification inquiry form, can be used to
investigate how people from various cultures use public and private space. The architect
might begin to make assumptions and draw inferences about the use of space and its
implications by seeing how a culture uses its space. Once this is established, a design
can be created. Without imposing new standards on a culture, an architect or planner can
propose locations or initiatives.