Feb. 18, 2014

proto_PROXY: Archigram

PROXY, an experiment in flexible urbanism inspired by the provocative visions of speculative architecture studios of the 1960s and ‘70s, seeks to answer a set of questions: How responsive to change can we expect a city to be? Are there strategies for re-imagining the urban condition that can be derived from the provocative visions of the architects who have come before us? How should we conceptualize and inhabit the space between the permanent, durable city and the (non-architectural) network of our connected devices?

proto_PROXY takes a look at envelope a+d’s influences and how they shape PROXY’s ongoing evolution at the corner of Hayes and Octavia in San Francisco.

Archigram, a London-based avant garde architectural group active in the 1960s and ‘70s, trafficked in grand ideas for how we might create a more interconnected culture. Their hypothetical project Instant City re-imagined nomadism; airships, trucks and trailers travel the countryside, bringing with them all the traditional and non-traditional trappings of a city. PROXY activates two formerly vacant lots; imagine activating acres and acres of land in rural anywhere? Entertainment, information or health services not readily available could be provided during an Instant City’s tenure. Learn more about Archigram here and here.