Projects for the cities of the future appear at turning points in history, i.e. at times of profound societal transition. They are key historical markers that underline and assert the great social responsibility of thinkers and interior architects. It is quite clear that our times are rife with division, even more so in the current health crisis, which calls for a collective renewal in which interior spaces have acquired new significance, and our aim here is to consider these spaces as vectors of creation, sharing and innovation for the city of the future.

The students of Line Fontana’s autumn workshop will question the city as a medium for creation and change, both spatial and societal, for a project to be showcased at the Cité des Métiers 2021. To do this, they will imagine a scenography project that might accommodate Geneva’s HES schools – the Cité’s guest of honour – in a 700m2 space for the event which will take place next November. The fields of social work, health, management, music, engineering, architecture, interior architecture, landscape design and fine arts will be represented through the potential for social, scientific, territorial, artistic and cultural innovation.

To achieve this, the workshop is organised in three stages. In the first stage, the students focus on two lines of research: the city and scenography. This research gives rise to two books, the theoretical basis of their project. The students then present a scenographic concept in line with their theoretical positions outlined at the beginning of the semester, through three research and design media: a model, an iconographic atlas in the manner of Aby Warburg and a text. Finally, they develop their scenographic project by constantly going  back-and-forth between projection (drawing), testing (model) and the development of a project positioning.

While major project themes emerge over the weeks, the ecological urgency, the significance of places for meeting and sharing in inclusive cities, and the growing importance of interior spaces are issues that emerge strongly from the students’ proposals. And while their scenography projects may separate, create distance or protect people, they may also encourage them to get together, talk or lay the foundations for a privileged relationship. The scenography therefore becomes a powerful conceptual image in support of the city of the future while also contributing actively to its production.