ICM Spring 2022 New Books Series
Wednesday, April 20, 2022 4:45-6:15 p.m.
Goldwin Smith, G22
Hybrid viewing options
A clip of the presentation is available HERE
Esra Akcan, Abolish Human Bans: Intertwined Histories of Architecture
Cornell AAP faculty member Esra Akcan speaks about her recently published book, Abolish Human Bans: Intertwined Histories of Architecture (CCA 2022). Published as part of the CCA Singles series, Esra Akcan builds on her theory of architectural translation to construct an activist gesture—through the lens of architectural history—against the anti-immigration policies of ruling powers. To contest the alleged inaccessibility of seven countries specifically vilified by the United States government, Akcan explores case studies from Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Iran, and Yemen, tracing some of the transportations and transformations of architecture in each. The projects in this book demonstrate that modern architectural histories are global and intertwined, and frame questions as to whether architects can commit their ethical and political compasses to peace rather than to dominant geopolitical regimes.
Esra Akcan is Michael A. McCarthy Professor of Architectural Theory, Department of Architecture. Akcan's research on modern and contemporary architecture and urbanism foregrounds the intertwined histories of Europe and West Asia and offers new ways to understand architecture's role in global, social, and environmental justice.
