Utzon(x) is rooted at the Department of Architecture and Media Technology at Aalborg University and The Utzon Center. The aim of Utzon(x) is to take inspiration and extend ideas and working methods from the work of Jørn Utzon and develop an architectural and design orientated approach that combines the inherited knowledge from craftmanship properties of architecture with new and emerging digital logics. This means developing an architectural approach and method that is both sensible to the Nordic Architectural and Building traditions as well as an architectural approach that is informed by and capable of conceiving spatial relations and contextual behaviours through programming and advanced fabrication. The term we offer is New Tectonics beyond New Technologies.
Utzon(x) operates through four interrelated activites. These being the organisation of an international oriented lecture series, bringing interdisciplinary academics and practitioners to the fore, the organisation of international open summer schools, by experimental prototypes and lastly through the dissemination of lectures, exhibitions, writings and projects in both printed and online channels.
The Utzon(x) projects have been given a generous four year grant from the Obel Foundation to establish an international Summer School combining research and education on the highest international level in the years 2013-2016. This is done in collaboration with front-runners from both academia and practice developing both methodological and theoretical concepts but always on the basis of prototypes and experiments in 1:1. The Tetraleaf project from 2013 was done with Daniel Bosia AKT II, Christian Veddeler UN Studio and Kasper Guldager Jørgensen GXN. The 2014/2015 Brick Pavillion is done with Daniel Bosia AKT II, Lars Juel Thiis CUBO and Kjeld Ghozarti E+N Architecture.
Since 2010 the international Utzon(x) lecture series have arranged lectures and symposiums. The lectures amongst others have been Jacob van Rijs MVRDV, Juhani Pallasmaa, Mathias Kohler ETH Zürich, Sigrid Adriaenssens Princeton University, Dirk van Gameren TU Delft/Mecanoo, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto Bow-Wow, Jenny Osludsen Snøhetta and Nanne de Ru, Berlage Institute. In august 2014 the first Utzon(x) symposium Bricks Beyond New Technologies were held at the Utzon Center with scholars and architectural offices from Europe and US.
As part of the communication and dissemination of knowledge to laymen and industry the Utzon(x) team curates and exhibits at the Utzon Center, so far it has been done with the Tetraleaf Project (2013) and the WE LOVE BRICKS exhibition(2014).
The Utzon(x) was founded in 2012 and is developed in joint leadership by Assistant Professor Isak Worre Foged and lab. Engineer Mads Brath Jensen and Head of Exhibitions at the Utzon Center Lasse Andersson. Part of the team is also Professor Poul Henning Kirkegaard from Aarhus University, adjunct Professor Daniel Bosia from AKT II and adjunct Professor Lars Juel Thiis from CUBO Architects.