INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE CENTRES

Public interest in architecture increased significantly towards the close of the twentieth century. This, combined with the increase in democratic practice, citizenship and public participation has stimulated the development of architecture centres around the world. Architecture centres can engage with government agendas of learning and social inclusion, regeneration, housing, sustainability, culture and heritage. Sharing the aim of making architecture and the built environment accessible to the public through exhibitions, workshops, seminars and site specific initiatives and projects, each centre has developed its own identity in response to the area it serves. International Architecture Centres is the definitive guide to the network of architecture centres established in the UK Europe and North America. It features papers presented at the conference 'The Value of Architecture Centres' at the British Museum, London on 18-19 June 2002. The aim of the conference was to raise awareness of the important role of architecture centres in promoting architecture and design, and as public forums for debating the past, present and future of cities. International Architecture Centres functions as a guide, presenting information about the network of centres; it also serves to define the role of architecture centres in contributing to ongoing debate on urban renaissance. The directory is accompanied by case studies of three of the centres and a series of specially commissioned essays by key cultural commentators.