Faced with ever more complex ecological, economic and social problems, today we see a move toward seeking out alternative places, exploring and paving the way to new uses, extending the premise of third places. The book sheds light not only on the processes, the different ways they are administered and run, and the commitment of the participants, but also on the underlying Taking over preexisting sites or setting up their own self-built centers, the people and places involved introduce and update ideas about commons, values and conviviality. They open up a wide range of perspectives relating to the social role of architecture and the architect, suggesting and supporting other ways of living.
L’Hotel Pasteur, Le Centquatre, Le Tri Postal, Les Grands Voisins, Le 6B, La Convention, La Friche la Belle de Mai, Les Ateliers Médicis, La Ferme du Bonheur. They can’t be reduced to a single function. They are difficult to reproduce because they are experimental. The mixing of genres, activities, and audiences is what Infinite places believe in. They build through a readiness to accept the unexpected in order to create new possibilities for the future.