Today, 60 million people are fleeing from war or have been displaced for other reasons. They often lack even the most fundamental necessities of life. Designers and architects can get involved and respond to these needs by developing inexpensive and/or intelligent solutions. And at a later stage – when people have arrived at a new destination – designers can help them to build new lives and integrate into society through new technologies and innovative solutions.
The Stedelijk Museum presents almost 50 recent initiatives to improve refugees’ temporary situations. One of the designers’ central challenges was to devise practical, real-life solutions, from clothing that can double as a tent to improved signage in a refugee camp and from linkable plastic floor sections for temporary shelters to a digital service that helps refugees navigate their new environment. Refugees designed or implemented several proposals, such as the flag created by the Syrian Yara Said for the Refugee Nation during the last Olympic Games and Cucula furniture produced in Berlin.
Märta Terne from Better Shelter participated in a panel discussion, sharing its views on innovation in the humanitarian space.
Present Architecture has hacked our shelter and explored how entire structures and components can be turned into something else, like a playground in a camp.
The exhibition is open from May 20 until Aug 26, 2017
