Radical Pedagogies: La Escuelita

In 1976, the rise of a military dictatorship brought about many changes to the capital city of Buenos Aires. As the political situation of the city worsened, this began to affect institutions where teachers were being banned from teaching in schools and universities. However at the same time, these events gave rise to the importance of architects and theorists such as Aldo Rossi, Manfredo Tafuri and Georgio Grassi.

Thus the same year a group of architects decided to set up their own architecture school, La Escuelita. A school that revolutionised architectural education in Argentina, founded by Tony Diaz, Ernesto Katzenstein, Justo Solsona and Rafael Vinoly.

"They made us bring paper and pencil to draw, so I said: this looks like a little school"

La Escuelita was known as an unofficial institution where flexible courses and curricula were taught. New informal methods of teaching were introduced such as workshops and studios. The studio sessions involved peer to peer critique which advanced the design process and motivated the students to learn from each other. This new method of learning drove the students to learn and explore for themselves, giving them a greater sense of self learning and imrovement. These crit sessions involved influential figures like Rossi who were invited to take part and guide the students.

"It was a communication, an exchange that for me was always like the basics of food to keep thinking"

During this time, the school was forced to stay within certain restrictions. The students were only allowed to design "only architecture", designs that are pure and harmless. One of the main focus of the school was to design for the current surroundings... "local architecture" as Rossi said. La Escuelita began to challenge these notions by introducing a new studio brief which involved the redesign of Avenida de Mayo, the "literal and physical axis of power". The brief asked the students to redesign the ceremonial space into a pedestrian promenade as a response to the current political issues taking place in the city. These changes brought about a series of "new architecture" which responded to the current local issues of the city.

One of the strongest memories that Rossi left behind was that "architecture should reclaim the city as a site". This changed the city's perspective of architecture, making the importance of architects equivalent to the "higher ups" in the city.

Despite being closed down in 1983, the school had a big impact on Argentinian Architecture, inspiring a generation of architects and designers and therefore revolutionising architectural education in Argentina.

The La Escuelita Group

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