Alpine AA / AA Visiting School Liechtenstein

factors of war, commerce, pilgrimage and tourism, the landscape of the Alps has been transformed dramatically, not only physically, but also in its land-use and inhabitation. Whilst most consider the Alpine region to be one of complete nature, the need for accessibility, connectivity and energy production has transformed it into a synthetic landscape. In reality it is vastly developed, not only on the surface in the form of road passes, wind farms and dams for harvesting hydro-electric power, but also deeply excavated, both by the Swiss Army in the 1930s and ‘40s, creating numerous derelict bunkers, and also by the permeation of the Alps via a series of infrastructural tunnels. The first to be constructed was completed in 1882, and the latest, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, due for completion in 2017 will become the longest tunnel in the world at 57 kilometres. The course will focus on developing visionary yet sensitive proposals that analyse and map this shift, and to provide possible answers for the future use, inhabitation and development of invisible infrastructures and excavations below the pristine surface. The investigations will be necessitated by a close examination of both vertical and horizontal sectional conditions in order to reveal what lies beneath the surface terrain. Lectures and workshops by experts from leading institutions in the fields of cartography, architecture and engineering as well as history and theory will provide invaluable input to the projects, which will culminate in a public exhibition of a series of installations.