Porous City | MVRDV

At MIPIM’s first edition of the Innovation Forum, March 12-15th, MVRDV and The Why Factory (T?F) present their ongoing research on the design of skyscrapers and the potential of porosity as a European approach to urban density. The results are presented as scale models made of LEGO bricks, recently exhibited at the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale and at Business of Design Week Hong Kong. The exhibition is combined with a lecture on urban design by Winy Maas on Wednesday, 13th of March at 10:00am. MIPIM is launching the MIPIM Innovation Forum, a meeting place for sharing ideas and debate for everyone involved in building tomorrow’s cities. This exclusive MIPIM programme puts buildings and users at the heart of this industry conversation in order to highlight the entire range of innovative solutions to maximize the value of property portfolios. Additionally, the MIPIM Innovation Forum will feature the “Porous city – Open the tower” exhibition presented at last year’s Venice Biennale for the first time. “Porous City – Open the tower” uses Lego towers to explore futuristic concepts of urban design imagined by The Why Factory, a research institute for the city of the future. Nine three-metre high skyscrapers will rise up during the four days of the show, acting as visual support to debates on the new processes and the role of research in Europe’s urban future. The exhibition of 9 large towers at MIPIM in Cannes represent the outcome of the earlier design studio “Eurohigh” at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, a collaborative project by T?F and KRADS.Porous City has been generously supported by LEGO Group, Denmark. The exhibition is combined with a lecture on urban design given by Winy Maas on Wednesday, 13th of March at 10:00am.