Five Cities: Glasgow
In 2015, the Five Cities workshop was conducted as part of the Architecture International Summer School, in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde and the Inner Mongolian Institute of Technology. This innovative project drew inspiration from Italo Calvino's "Invisible Cities," where Marco Polo narrates his imaginative explorations of 55 fictional cities to Kublai Khan. The workshop's core objective was to challenge perceptions of urban environments through five thematic city types: Host City, Lost City, Merchant City, Garden City, and Sin City.
Participants immersed themselves in Glasgow's Merchant City, meticulously documenting its spaces, buildings, and activities. Their findings were synthesized into a dynamic multimedia presentation featuring sketches, plans, videos, images, and sounds. This comprehensive presentation was then showcased to a review panel, effectively narrating the essence of each thematic city and demonstrating the workshop's creative exploration of urban understanding.