Call for Papers:
Arts - Special Issue "Contemporary Architecture from the 20th Century to the Present"

The term ‘contemporary architecture’ tends to be used to describe the architecture of today and the urban environment of now; the present. Generally, it conjures images of beautifully-designed architecture, clean, glossy, and unattached to a movement or style, but is also global and non-regional. Yet, what is the architecture of now? What defines a particular contemporary movement to earn it the distinction to be referred as “contemporary”?

The 15th Venice Architectural Biennale 2016 is titled “Reporting from the Front”, and curated by architect Alejandro Aravena. The title and theme conjure visions of an investigation of a type architecture, gravitating towards the ethical, the humanitarian, and the sustainable. Is this another, often unreported, side of contemporary architecture acting a collective activist movement for the build environment? Architects and designers are looking at the state of the world and responding accordingly. Their voices, expressed in their design intentions are echoes of a quiet movement, which is socially, culturally, and environmentally responsible. An architecture, which is of the people, for the people.

Authors are invited to contribute, to challenge the definition of contemporary architecture and to suggest new perceptions and visions. Themes of papers, which will be considered, are:

- On the historical development of socially responsible architecture theories.
- Studies showcasing pedagogical methods in current architecture/design education.
- Analysis or case studies of methods of looking and researching the current built environment and their responses, from artists, architects, urban planers, NGOs, Activists, Animators, graphic designers, musicians, photographers, and historians.
- Case studies illustrating research carried out in specific conditions/sites, and their architectural/design proposals; built or un-built.

Guest Editor: Prof. Marco Sosa, Assistant Professor, College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Papers: Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering (http://susy.mdpi.com/user/register) and logging in to this website (http://susy.mdpi.com/user/login). Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form (http://susy.mdpi.com/). Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Arts is an international peer-reviewed Open Access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript (http://www.mdpi.com/journal/arts/instructions). Article Processing Charge (http://www.mdpi.com/about/apc) will be waived for well-prepared manuscripts. English correction and/or formatting fees of 250 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be charged in certain cases for those articles accepted for publication that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections.

Abstract can be sent to burkhaltermdpi.com