Dreams of the South: Nordic Architecture and the Mediterranean
This session examines the architectural interactions between the Nordic countries and the Mediterranean, examining the North’s ever-evolving relation to the South as a cultural and geographical entity, as well as a place of the imaginary. We invite papers on Nordic architects and architectural theorists—from the rise of National Romanticism to the present—who have engaged with the Mediterranean, exploring how their travels, exchanges, and experiences influenced their work and writings.
We particularly encourage contributions on the post-WWII modernization period, when the development of summer tourism and the relative economic prosperity of the Nordic countries drew broader Nordic audiences to the Mediterranean, permeating popular culture (as expressed, for example, in the popular travel books of Göran Schildt or Thorbjørn Egner’s Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by). During this time, and in the following decades, the still rural Mediterranean offered Nordic architects, such as Sverre Fehn, Jørn Utzon, Christian Norberg-Schulz, and Alvar Aalto, the opportunity to reflect on modernism, history, the vernacular, and their own architectural traditions in perspective.
Additionally, we welcome papers on topics such as:
- 19th century Nordic encounters with the Mediterranean in the context of Neoclassicism and National Romanticism,
- The interwar modern movement and its fascination with the Mediterranean, reflected in events such as the 1933 CIAM IV,
- Contemporary leisure architecture and real-estate projects developed in the Mediterranean by Nordic architects and investors for a northern clientele.
What role have these Mediterranean encounters played in the dialogue between modernity and tradition that shaped Nordic architecture in the 20th century? In what ways has the Mediterranean served as a “mirror” for Nordic identities? To what extent have these “Dreams of the South” informed Nordic architectural practices?
The session aims to transcend the entrenched concepts of European “centre and periphery” and challenge the primitivising and sometimes orientalist views that often color northern-European perceptions of the South, as well as the equally persistent romantic perception of the Mediterranean as the “cradle of classicism”. Dreams of the South ultimately invites scholars to reflect on, re-examine, and question Nordic architecture and cultural identity in regard to the Mediterranean and to re-evaluate these exchanges in the context of today’s hyper-connected world.
Deadline: 28th of February 2025
Session Chair: Panagiotis Farantatos
Please submit your proposal as a PDF via e-mail to the Session Chair: pfarantatos@cc.au.dk
For more information, visit the NORDIK 2025 website.