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063-0860-26L 2 Credits BSC , DR D-ARCH

Archival Seminar. Critical Thinking in the Archive

Lecturers & Examiners: PD Dr. Irina Davidovici
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:14:00

Abstract

In the setting of the gta Archive, students will engage in the analysis and discussion of different types of archival materials on specific themes.

Objective

The Archive Seminar aims to train students to select, analyse, and evaluate archival items to develop and demonstrate a given hypothesis. Archival items will be annotated with critical descriptions in the form of expanded captions and short written essays. The course fosters subject specific as well as transferable competencies. By the end of this course, students will be able to: • Differentiate between various archival concepts; discuss the archive’s societal and academic relevance • Independently identify, discuss, and interpret various types of research evidence • Systematically select, evaluate, analyse archival material and critically assess its importance as historical evidence • Order sets of archival evidence to create viable historical narratives • Develop critical faculties through analysis and argumentation, and develop academic writing skills.

Content

Despite being one of the most significant architectural repositories in Europe, the gta Archive at ETH Zurich is relatively little used by students. It is perceived as either remote from current design concerns, inaccessible, or forbidding. Yet, those who cross its threshold discover a treasure of materials and sources of inspiration that can add much to their research and design skills. The Archive Seminar aims to unlock the didactic potential of the gta Archive by offering a low-threshold, guided, and mediated access to its contents. It is conceived as a relaxed and safe environment for discovery and discussion. Students will learn how to work with archival material, engage in archival research, formulate critical arguments and use archival evidence to develop short historical narratives. It is made of two parts. In the first, lectures followed by Q&As will familiarise students with archival theories, dilemmas and controversies. In the second, conducted in the archive, students will analyse and critically discuss original archival items. The group of participants will be capped to max. 20 students to allow personal contributions to the discussion and and easy access to the archive.

Resources

Lecture Notes

Handouts will be handed in during the seminar classes.

Literature

Aggregate. Writing Architectural History: Evidence and Narrative in the Twenty-First Century. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2021. Chateigné, Yann, Dagnar Füchtjohann, Yann Chateigné, Yann Chateigné Tytelman, Dagmar Füchtjohann, Johanna Hoth, Laurent Schmid, et al. The Archive as a Productive Space of Conflict. Berlin: Sternberg Press, 2016. Greene, Mark A. ‘A Critique of Social Justice as an Archival Imperative: What Is It We’re Doing That’s All That Important?’ The American Archivist 76, no. 2 (2013): 302–34. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43490357 . Gunn, Simon. Research Methods for History. 1st ed. Research Methods for the Arts and Humanities. Edinburgh: University Press, 2011. Millar, Laura A. Archives: Principles and Practices. 2nd ed. Principles and Practice in Records Management and Archives. London: Facet Publ, 2017. Ramirez, Mario H. ‘Being Assumed Not to Be: A Critique of Whiteness as an Archival Imperative’. The American Archivist 78, no. 2 (1 September 2015): 339–56. https://doi.org/10.17723/0360-9081.78.2.339 . Stoler, Ann Laura. Along the Archival Grain: Epistemic Anxieties and Colonial Common Sense. Course Book. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400835478 . Yaneva, Albena. Crafting History: Archiving and the Quest for Architectural Legacy. Expertise: Cultures and Technologies of Knowledge. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501751837 .

General Information

Language
English
Levels
BSC , DR
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
graded semester performance
The graded performance will be based on intermediate and final presentations as well as active participation throughout the semester.The course will be graded as follows:Proactive participation in the course: 10%Mid-term assignment (oral presentation): 30%Final assignment (essay and presentation): 60%

Registration & Places

Limited places (Special selection)

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
seminar Archive Seminar. Critical Thinking in the Archive
Permission from lecturers required for all students. No course on 20.03.2026 (seminar week) and in the last week of the semester (final reviews week). The seminar will be conducted in English; however, students must be able to read and understand German sources as these form the majority of material at gta Archive. Room: gta Archive HIL C 75.1
  • Thu 16:00-18:00 (n / a)
2 h weekly

Offered In