The project titled 60 Minute Man featured an oak forest planted within an abandoned barge, utilizing composted human waste collected from Venice to nourish the trees. Created in 2000 by Marco Casagrande and his partner Sami Rintala, this installation showcased an early commitment to merging environmental concerns with experimental architectural forms.
Professional Trajectory and Education
Born in 1971 in Turku, Finland, Marco Casagrande pursued his formal education at the Helsinki University of Technology, graduating from the architecture department in 2001. His early career included a partnership with Sami Rintala under the name Casagrande & Rintala. Beyond his practice in architecture and environmental art, he has served as a lecturer at the National Defence University of Finland starting in 2006 and held academic positions at Tamkang University and the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Versailles.
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In 1997, Casagrande published a book titled Mostarin tien liftarit (Hitchhikers on the Road to Mostar) under the pseudonym Luca Moconesi. The text detailed his alleged experiences in the Bosnian Civil War as a volunteer for the Bosnian Croat Defence Forces. Descriptions of war crimes within the narrative led to public suspicion regarding his conduct, to which he responded by claiming the work was fiction. He later publicly condemned the types of military actions described in his writing.
Theory of the Third Generation City
Casagrande developed the concept of the Third Generation City, which posits that post-industrial urban environments should be treated as complex, living energy organisms. He advocates for urban acupuncture—the strategic intervention at localized blockages within a city to produce wider systemic relief. This approach emphasizes the role of the citizen as an anarchist gardener, utilizing methods like urban farming and self-directed environmental modification to allow nature to reclaim the ruins of human structures.
Awards and Recognition
His multidisciplinary practice, which spans environmental planning, installation art, and architectural theory, has received significant international attention. Notable honors include the European Prize for Architecture, awarded in 2013, and the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, granted in 2015 by UNESCO and the Locus Foundation. His work was also recognized by the International Committee of Architectural Critics with the CICA Award.
Fast facts
- Born: 1971, Turku, Finland
- Citizenship: Finland
- Education: Helsinki University of Technology
- Key Partnership: Casagrande & Rintala
- European Prize for Architecture: 2013
- Global Award for Sustainable Architecture: 2015
- Occupations: Architect, novelist
Questions readers ask
What is urban acupuncture?
It is a design method proposed by Casagrande involving small-scale, sensitive interventions at strategic points in a city to improve the flow of energy and support ecological sustainability.
What is the Ruin Academy?
Founded by Casagrande in 2010, it is an independent research center where he develops his theories regarding the Third Generation City.
Achievements
- Educated at Helsinki University of Technology
- Worked as architect and novelist
