Mayor of Orléans, Member of National Assembly for the Loiret département

ArchiLab is a major reference for research architecture. Since 1999, teams of architects from all over the world have been invited to introduce their projects at the Orléans International Architectural Conference. This event, inspired by and focusing on creativity and pluralism, is about to become a biennal one, and is duly changing shape as far as the exhibition organization is concerned. This means that a different curator will be invited for each new show. ArchiLab 2004 is being curated by Bart Lootsma, the internationally renowned Dutch critic and teacher, who, on the theme of “The Naked City”, has brought together a wide range of explorations of urban spaces, questioning new kinds of territorial organization. ArchiLab thus makes Orléans a forum for discussion and exchange about innovations in architecture and city planning, open to an ever broader public. ArchiLab is organized by the City of Orléans, with the help and support of the Centre Regional Contemporary Art Collection [FRAC Centre], which has focused its programmes and collection on contemporary architecture. Several cultural institutions and associations in our city are also involved in this event: the Mediatheque, the Institute of Visual Arts, the CAUE of the Loiret, the Order of Architects Council in the Centre Region, the Urbanism Agency, the Friends of the FRAC Centre, and the Historic Cafés of the Region. Let us remember that ArchiLab is the outcome of a solid partnership with the Centre Region, and enjoys the stout support of the Regional Department of Cultural Affairs [DRAC]. I thank them all for their help and cooperation, which make it possible to meet contemporary architectural thinkers and planners in Orléans.