Oskar Hansen at Yale

On its third edition, the exhibition on Oskar Hansen, the Polish architect known for his Open Form theory, is moving to the Yale School of Architecture in New Haven.

The Yale School of Architecture in New Haven is presenting the third edition of the exhibition on the work of Oskar Hansen (1922-2005) – Polish architect, urban planner, and theorist – curated by Soledad Gutiérrez, Aleksandra Kędziorek, and Łukasz Ronduda.

"Oskar Hansen: Open Form", exhibition at the Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, 2016

Hansen was a member of Team 10, the architectural group that formed the first critical voice against the modernist orthodoxy of the Athens Charter and the followers of Le Corbusier. In his Open Form theory, he aimed to the participation, process, and change of hierarchy between an artist and viewer, embracing art as a process, and engaging the viewer, recipient, and user.

"Oskar Hansen: Open Form", exhibition at the Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, 2016

For Hansen the role of architect in shaping the space was limited to the creation of a “perceptive background.” The architecture was supposed to expose the diversity of events and individuals present in the space. By focusing on the process, subjectivity, and the creation of contexts for individual expression, Hansen believed that architecture could became a tool to be used and transformed by its users, and adapted easily to their changing needs. 

"Oskar Hansen: Open Form", exhibition at the Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, 2016
"Oskar Hansen: Open Form", exhibition at the Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, 2016
"Oskar Hansen: Open Form", exhibition at the Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, 2016