SHOULD WE STOP THE TRAIN TO THINKBELT ?

Ada Kwiatkowska

Abstract

Thinkbelt is an abstract idea of educational complex created by Cedric Price. This idea expressed revolutionary Zeitgeist of the 60-ties. It defined education as a kind of service accessible for everyone and integrated with production. Thinkbelt was located in the key-position of the city near by railway station. The values and ideas contained in it, such as mobile, flexible and open system of education are becoming the reality at the end of 20th century. But at the same time, well-known pattern of „Master and Pupil” seems to come back to social life in form of professional studios. The return of this pattern in our time can be interpreted as defense of professional groups against over-production of the universities, resulting in keen competition on the market. The paper points out the fundamental differences between these two models of education. The presented dilemmas, for instance: knowledge as package or knowledge as compass, education as gaining or education as searching for, are important not only in relation to professional studios, but they exist in our every-day choices in teaching at the Universities.

Article:

Kwiatkowska, Ada (1996). "Should We Stop the Train to Thinkbelt?", [in:] Architectural Education and Reality, EAAE Conference Proceedings, Weimar: HAB - TU, pp.31-36. (drawings by Ada Kwiatkowska)       

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