The impact of catastrophic events on architecture: the relationship with representation in the architectural/artistic project

The contribution investigates an alternative to the approach by engineering, social or natural sciences to the mitigation of disasters: the approach through art, not science. In the first part there is a review of the path followed for the stepwise sensivity of the earthquake engineering and engineering seismology problems to social sciences and then architecture and urban planning. Then, with the research method of phenomenoloty, the concept of memory is introduced , memory of the space of catastrophe. This memory can be accessed through artistic representations: scenography, gardens, film, painting, 3D renderings of photography. The representation of catastrophes in photography can be followed best in the collection of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, a preliminary investigation for the project of a stay at the centre. Memory has to be taken in consideration in reconstruction projects. This way there are analysed such projects, but also the spaces created through scenography, garden art or film from the point of view of the architecture of memory, namely to which extent the „ruin” is kept, this temporary result of the catastrophe, momentan as well. But not only in reconstruction must be kept the memory of the spaces, forms and materials from before the intervention, being necessary to integrate seismic retrofit with restoration or architectural conversion. It is also presented the approach to demolition in case of speculative development in Bucharest, past and present, and the possibility to transfer concepts from the artistic projects on real site through the future introduction of all senses in the urban modelling in GIS.