Oskar Hansen’s ‘Open Form’

Open Form is one of the key concepts of Oskar Hansen’s work, which he began to explore in the 1950s and first presented in 1959 at the 11th CIAM, held in Otterlo, the Netherlands. According to Hansen, Open Form allows for personal growth and development by providing individuals with the autonomy to make their own decisions. It also encourages discourse and serves as a foundation for life experiences. Open Form is characterised by a conciliatory disposition. Although Hansen contrasts it with Closed Form, he does not view them as being in conflict but rather in interplay.

Open Form is characterised by a dialectical approach to development, as well as a shared sense of responsibility, communication, and flexibility. A material culture based on Open Form is designed to enhance our sensitivity to the existential needs of each individual. In terms of architecture, Open Form allows for structures to continue extending outward, as evidenced by the HT Structure (invented by Hansen and his associate Lech Tomaszewski for the 1955 Polish pavilion in Izmir) and the Linear Continuous System (a non-centric urban planning concept). Furthermore, the concept of Open Form implies that the form and purpose of a structure are not fixed once and for all. Instead, a significant degree of freedom is left to the people who inhabit it. It represents an early example of a participatory and indeterminate approach in architecture and design.