Demolish or renovate?
Arquitectura en Corto invites you to the screening of Demolition Drama, which will take place on Wednesday, November 5, at 7:00 PM at the Espacio Arquia in Madrid (C/ Tutor, 16). Produced by the HouseEurope! platform, the short film highlights the environmental impact of demolition and new construction, as well as the overlooked potential of renovation as a sustainable alternative. Currently, only 1% of existing buildings in Europe have been renovated. At the current annual renovation rate, it would take nearly 100 years to renovate Europe's building stock—four times longer than the timeline agreed upon in the 2050 climate goals. Documentary directors Olaf Grawert and Alina Kolar interview leading experts in the field, including architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, Oana Bogdan, and Charlotte Malterre-Barthes. They illustrate the economic, ecological, and social benefits of rehabilitating existing structures and advocate for a radical shift toward renovation. Following the screening, the discussion will feature Raquel Guerra Aragonés, an architect and representative of HouseEurope! in Spain; Sander Laudy, an architect specializing in rehabilitation projects and cost-benefit analyses comparing demolition and renovation; and Rebive, a team of architects behind several urban regeneration projects in various neighborhoods of Madrid.
