The investigation by Open City Studio does not limit itself to the study of architecture but includes an understanding of the city’s history, literature, decorative objects, textiles, cuisine etc. in an effort to define a cultural urbanism. These subjects are researched, documented, drawn and ultimately viewed as a collective project which teaches the student how to analyze the complex reality of the contemporary city.

During the summer of 2003, the Open City Studio focused on the study of Lisbon in pursuit of an understanding of the city’s history, culture and architecture, which varied depending upon the history and urban development of the chosen city. In Lisbon, the studio concentrated on an understanding of the people which have occupied these territories since its inception and the impact that they have made on the development of the architecture of the city. Therefore the drawings ranged from an idyllic depiction of the landscape of Celtic Lisbon to a rendition of the quotidian cuisine of the bacalhau which defines the cuisine of Portugal today and reflects the many cultures which have influenced the conception of this contemporary dish. Ultimately, the project may be conceived as a pictorial biography of Lisbon in thirteen drawings.

The Open City Studio has been a part of the University of Miami School of Architecture’s curriculum for the past fourteen years. Its name suggests an attitude towards the study of architecture and urbanism which is in fact open-minded and poised for discovery. The work of the studio searches to describe a given city by means of drawing in order to uncover the cultural elements which define the character of a given place.