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“Creating does not mean deforming or inventing people and things. It means forging new relationships between existing people and things.”
This quotation by Robert Bresson encapsulates the approach of FACES no. 88, devoted to the theme of working with the existing as a field of reflection and exploration within contemporary architectural practice. From the reuse of Roman buildings during the Middle Ages to the theories and intervention measures developed for heritage preservation from the nineteenth century onward, the value attributed to existing structures — and therefore the ways of preserving and transforming them — has evolved throughout history. Marginalized during the modern period, transformation has now regained central importance in response to the climate emergency and the need to preserve resources. Yet the issue is not only ecological; it is also cultural and societal, involving a redefinition of the architectural project and the role of the architect, as well as a reassessment of disciplinary culture itself.
Whether political, economic, technical, or cultural in nature, societal transformations lead to the abandonment or obsolescence of certain buildings, thereby opening possibilities for reinterpretation and new uses. History offers many examples: arenas transformed into fortified towns at the end of the Roman Empire, industrial sites converted into cultural centres following deindustrialization from the 1970s onward, or, more recently, office buildings converted into housing in response to changing modes of work.
FACES 88 seeks to explore the evolution of practices and theories that open the way toward experimental and innovative approaches to transformation. Working with what already exists allows not only the extension of a site’s life, but also the invention and testing of pioneering architectural and programmatic strategies, as well as new forms of interpretation and enhancement of the existing.
This approach raises several questions: the value of the existing as a resource; the evolution of the notion of heritage; the capacity to reinterpret places and design adaptable spaces; and the possibility of questioning typologies and forms of dwelling. Above all, it calls for an attitude grounded in dialogue and attentiveness. As Anne Lacaton, Jean-Philippe Vassal and Frédéric Druot have argued, transformation is a “work of precision, kindness, and delicacy” toward what already exists: a practice of care made necessary by the challenges of the contemporary world.
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The process will unfold as follows:
29 June 2026: deadline for submission of theoretical articles in the form of a 3,000-character
abstract (including spaces), accompanied by a 300–500-character biography.
13 July 2026: announcement of selected articles.
14 September 2026: submission of complete theoretical articles of approximately 25,000 characters (including spaces) (an editorial guidelines document will be sent to authors in April), along with 8–10 high-resolution illustrations or images, including captions and photo credits. Please note that Faces is a black-and-white print journal.
It is common for the scientific committee to request revisions at short notice, sometimes on several occasions. A period dedicated to possible revisions is scheduled from 21 September to
5 October 2026.
Publication scheduled for Winter 2026.
Submissions in FRENCH or ENGLISH must be sent exclusively by email in .doc / .docx
format to Eliza Culea-Hong, editorial coordinator: facesrevue@gmail.com.