Common Tones

Architecture firms from London are a common sight in Flanders and Brussels. These practices find a way into the region through procedures like the Open Call of the Flemish Government Architect (Vlaams Bouwmeester), collaborations with local architects or - in some cases - a satellite office. Meanwhile, leading architects from Flanders and Brussels have spent some of their formative years in London. All of which are examplary for a long-term entanglement between the two architecture cultures. The recently published Flanders Architectural Review N°15. Alliances with the Real is no exception in this regard. On the occasion of the publication of this book, leading figures from both architecture cultures are invited for a discussion. What social and spatial challenges do we have in common, and where do they differ? How do current-day environmental, political and socio-economic tendencies inform the architectural practice within each region and their oppertunities for exchange? To what extent do we share an architectural culture, and where can we learn from our differences?