Learning is done wherever a person is present and active. When we consider which space most people inhabit, we will conclude that the biggest, most meaningful school is the city. The thought that guided me when developing projects that deal with the relationship between cities and education was that the former is an actual learning space, whose residents are both teachers and students, and the curriculum is based on direct encounters where we learn from each other and share content, ideas and experience.

While forming the educational program of The White City Center, I wondered how to best carry those ideas, that originate from urban space, into an institution that examines it; how can an organization operating out of a building function as the beating heart of an urban space? And if educational activity lays within every occurrence and is born out of passion and curiosity to learn and evolve, how can it be applied to an institution?

In museums and cultural institutions, education is often managed under a sub- division, but if education (or learning) is an integral part of life, it cannot be reduced to
a department; we must recognize that the entire center is an educational organization. This notion has consequences for the operations of the Center and its staff and
it requires great involvement. At the same time, it allows them the freedom that comes from framing the activity as an experiment. In other words, the emphasis is not on achieving goals, but on the process of searching.

The Liebling house, turning into The White City Center once the renovation is over, is a residential building. In this aspect, urban dwelling practices are part of its spirit, and are the object of study from the perspective of architecture, conservation and urban thought. The center considers itself as both teacher and student of experts and residents. These ideas have led me to develop the Center’s first learning model: Apartment No. 2—a publicly open educational space that maintains a sense of intimacy and belonging.

Apartment No. 2 transformed from a residential space to a place where one can learn about dwelling through architecture, design and crafts. Its rooms have been converted into work spaces occupied by architects, designers, artists and artisans.

The framework is of a multidisciplinary studio, where members spend their time, focusing
on their own practices. In the afternoon, the rooms are opened and the public is invited to visit, choosing whether to develop a guided personal project or join the ongoing activities, like planning an apartment or developing a show.

The architecture studio deals with urban living and the relationship a person has with their place of residence. Through the question of habitat we can review the fundamental questions of architecture—aesthetics, relations and proportions of space; the light; and the materials.

The crafts and design studio is dedicated to reviewing and creating useful objects necessary for urban living. The activities include studying the objects, the need for them and how they are created— from design to production. The meetings combine craft and its cultural background with contemporary design. The writing and performance studio focuses on the personal story and its relationship with the public urban space. It deals with the ability to tell a story and how the urban space encompasses endless narratives. The studio teaches writing, playwriting, set design and performing in front of an audience.

At the adjacent garden we learn about urban ecology with the CityTree community, who constructed a working and learning space featuring a seedbed and nursery. Artists have set up exhibition spaces around the garden, where they showcase artworks and ideas.
We also offer workshops at the apartment and in the garden, as well as developing art and architecture tours for children on-site and throughout the city.

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