rebel architecture...

Premiering on August 18th, a new six-part series on ‘Rebel Architecture’ features architects who are “shunning the glamour of ‘starchitecture’ and using design to tackle the world’s urban, environmental and social crises.” Created and produced by Daniel Davies for Al Jazeera English, each half-hour documentary uncovers the work of six architects tackling pressing issues head on. 

“This series challenges our conceptions of architecture and design, and the way we cover them in the media”, Giles Trendle, Director of Programmes at Al Jazeera English. 

Launching on Mondays at 10:30pm GMT, each episode will air 8 times throughout the week of transmission and will be archived on YouTube.

The first episode of Al Jazeera’s highly anticipated ‘Rebel Architecture’ series premieres today at 11:30pm BST(6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT) on the programme’s website. Created and produced by Daniel Davies, the series kicks off with “Guerilla Architect” Santiago Cirugeda, the legendary self-build Spanish architect who is attempting to turn an abandoned factory into a vibrant cultural centre. 

Santiago Cirugeda, Seville’s most subversive architect, has dedicated his career to reclaiming urban spaces for the public. In austerity-hit Spain, where the state has retreated and around 500,000 new buildings lie empty, “people are doing things their own way,“ says Cirugeda. “In times of crisis, people come together to find collective solutions.” With his expert knowledge of urban planning legislation, Santiago isn’t afraid to “occupy”, or squat, abandoned space and uses his knowledge of the law to enable community building. “Self-building hasn’t been legalised in Spain, so any architect taking on this problem has to take on civil and criminal liability” he says, referring to the logistical issues he faces whilst working on the edges of the law. “Sometimes we do things that are illegal, but we’re not doing anyone any harm. On the contrary, we’re doing it to benefit more people. The decision to work illegally means a different approach.” His buildings are often fast-build, mobile structures made from recycled materials – design for Cirugeda is about matching available materials with the skills of those keen to build it. The key is that they serve a social function, which Santiago thinks contemporary architecture has lost sight of in its obsession with the aesthetic. We follow him as he takes on his biggest task yet, saving a huge abandoned cement factory, and negotiating with the authorities to let his National Architects’ Collective turn it into a vibrant cultural centre.

If you are not able to watch it today, the show will be airing throughout the week (use this time converter to find your local time):

Tue Aug 19 10:30am BST
Wed Aug 20 4:30am BST
Thu Aug 21 4:30pm BST
Fri Aug 22 8:30pm BST
Sat Aug 23 3:30pm BST
Sun Aug 24 5:30am BST

The following five episodes will premiere on Mondays through September 22nd.

Week of August 18, 2014
“Guerrilla Architect” on Santiago Cirugeda
Santiago Cirugeda is a legend of Spanish self-build but can his collective approach turn an abandoned factory into a vibrant cultural centre?

Week of August 25, 2014
“A Traditional Future” on Yasmeen Lari
Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari uses traditional building techniques to rebuild villages in the flood damaged Sindh Valley.

Week of September 1, 2014
“The Architecture of Violence” on Eyal Weizman
Eyal Weizman explains architecture’s key role in the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the evolution of urban warfare.

Week of September 8, 2014
“Greening the City” on Vo Trong Nghia
Vo Trong Nghia attempts to return greenery to Vietnam’s choking cities and design cheap homes for those excluded from Vietnam’s rapid growth.

Week of September 15, 2014
“Working on Water” on Kunlé Adeyemi
Nigerian Architect Kunlé Adeyemi sets out to solve the issues of flooding and overcrowding in Nigeria’s waterside slums with floating buildings.

Week of September 22, 2014
“The Pedreiro and the Master Planner” on Ricardo
Ricardo makes his living as an informal builder in Rio’s Rocinha; but the government has a different plan for the future of the favelas.