The title of the project – unLoc – is inspired by the concept of “locus of control”, which we use as a metaphorical reference to the symbolism of the architecture of power. In the project, we explore how the history of power relations is reflected in architecture. We use new technologies that can change the way people perceive and understand architecture.

Using historical and social inspirations, computer programming and artificial intelligence, we create a platform for alternative visions of urban space. The project is embedded in the broad context of the history of architecture, urban planning and the ways in which social control, influence and conflict manifest themselves through the structure of public space.

We analyse the architecture of power to select objects with a “difficult history” that are symbols of power and dependence. We focus the research area to post-communist architecture in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. We explore alternative possibilities, artistic inspiration and dialogue between urban space and its inhabitants.

We want to provide the tool for better understanding of the needs of the city residents, discussing different perspectives and approaches for the urban planning and the platform for creating sustainable and well designed cities.

Results

unLoc – Exploring the Synergy of Human and Machine Creativity in Architecture. Redesigning Urban Space through Machine Learning, Artistic Expression, and Community Collaboration

Keywords: architecture, art, public participation, artificial intelligence, urban theory, dissonant heritage

Overview and aims

The unLoc project (inspired by the psychological concept of “locus of control”) examines how relations of power are reflected in the Socialist-period architecture of the former Eastern Bloc countries. These buildings often constitute a “dissonant heritage” – symbols of historical control and no longer valid dependence that still dominate contemporary public spaces.

The primary goal of the project is to understand the contemporary perception and function of this architecture of power. By combining historical and sociological research with cutting-edge technologies (AI), art, and design, we aim to develop alternative visions of urban space. We seek to shift the paradigm of heritage transformation from a top-down approach to a democratic, bottom-up process. In this process, art and speculative design acts as a tool to deeply understand the complex history of these buildings, while offering a creative medium for critically rethinking and redesigning their future role in the city. Ultimately, unLoc aims to establish a continuous dialogue between urban spaces and their residents, providing practical tools to better understand societal needs and fostering sustainable, inclusive urban planning.

Methodology

• One of the greatest strengths of the unLoc project is a deep transdisciplinary approach, integrating people from different backgrounds – including historians, sociologists, artists, designers, urban planners, and technology experts. Instead of working separately, our team combined their diverse skills and experiences to carry out a series of connected activities:
• Historical and architectural assessment: Our interdisciplinary team conducted an in-depth review of selected post-communist buildings and spatial structures. By analyzing source texts, archives, and the broader context of architectural history, we investigated how the architecture of power originally manifested social control and how these legacy structures currently influence urban spaces.
• Social feedback and community engagement: A crucial component of our methodology involved collecting feedback of those who interact with these spaces daily with in-depth Photo Elicitation Interviews method. We gathered extensive perspectives from residents and local experts to assess the effects of decentralization and changing power dynamics. Actively listening to neighborhoods and stakeholders ensured that the conclusions formulated in the project are rooted in the actual needs and lived experiences of the community.
• Participatory Action Research: We used art and design as tools for creatively reinterpreting architecture. By engaging artists, architects, and designers as mediators between past and future urban identities, we explore how artistic interventions can make urban transitions more socially accepted and culturally meaningful.
• AI-driven urban research: We integrated large language models (LLMs) and custom Diffusion-based image generation models into the creative and analytical research process. An innovative outcome of this collaboration is the extensive collection of works of art and speculative redesign ideas created by research participants, both described and visualised. Another outcome is development of a research tool based on LLMs and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for analyzing historical texts, bibliographies, and archival documents.

Key findings

Shifting perspectives on Dissonant Heritage:

Discussions with historians, sociologists, artists, and citizens revealed a growing awareness of the potential of “architecture of power” buildings. We observed a tangible shift in the identity of these structures – from oppressive symbols to spaces that can be redefined and redesigned to meet contemporary needs.

Raising public awareness:

The project aims to raise awareness and encourage innovative thinking about the use of dissonant heritage buildings. This process enhances public and expert awareness of both the challenges and opportunities linked to these structures, ensuring that communities play an active role in shaping their urban environment.

Establishing a public dialogue:

We created a participatory platform where, during the project research, diverse urban actors (citizens, municipal representatives, urban planners) could express their views on the future of former power-symbolic buildings.

Creating an interdisciplinary model for transformation: One of the main tangible changes we achieved is the creation of a participatory model for rethinking difficult urban heritage. By synthesizing citizen engagement, expert consultations, and AI-driven research, we provide new tools and methodologies for repurposing these buildings in ways that align with contemporary social and environmental needs. This model can be replicated in other cities facing similar heritage challenges.

Technological innovation in heritage studies: We successfully tested and introduced AI as a supplementary instrument for the creation of architectural concepts and urban space planning propositions. Our AI-based tools and digital platforms allowed researchers to create speculative urban futures, making heritage studies more interactive, accessible, and data-driven.

Dissemination

1. Our dissemination strategy bridges the gap between scientific research, creative process, and civic engagement, creating tangible impacts across multiple sectors:
2. To ensure real-world implementation, we translate our research into comprehensive reports, stakeholder consultations, and visual, interactive design installations.
3. We continually share our findings through conference participation, peer-reviewed journals, and international publications.
4. We launched a globally accessible online platform unloc.art that functions as a project repository to enable the multiplication of our methodology in other cities.
5. We promote our project online via website and social media.

International symposia & academic conferences:

“Performing Transformation” symposium at TU Dresden (Germany)

https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/schauflerlab/einfuehrung/news/unser-ausfuehrliches-konferenzprogramm-zu-performing-transformation-shifting-landscape-in-art-science-and-technology-ist-jetzt-online?set_language=en

Ivan, Loredana (2025). Listening to the CITY: How people see the architecture of power today, 5.11.2025, Art Academy of Latvia, Riga.

Ivan, L. (2025). The architecture of power views of the residents of Bucharest on emblematic communist buildings and the use of AI in creating new meanings.18th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI 2025), 10-12 November 2025 – Seville, Spain

https://iated.org/concrete3/session_detail.php?session_id=7316

Ivan, Loredana, & Mihail, Andrei (2025).Community in Crisis: The Future of a Romanian Locality Abandoned to Time. ECREA Risk and Crisis Communication Section. September 15-17, 2025, București.

Fernández-Ardèvol, M., & Ivan, L. (2024). Life transitions and media transitions. The European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) Conference. 23-27 September. Liubliana, Slovenia.

https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/213366297/ECREA-2024-Conference-Booklet-Electronic-version_1_.pdf

Rosenberg, D., Marciano, A., Suárez-Gonzalo, S., Ivan, L., Fernández-Ardèvol, M. (2024). Predictors of the perceived influence of government digital surveillance in older adulthood.

The 2024 Annual Meeting of the Socio-Gerontechnology Network. 19- 20 September, Technical University of Vienna, Austria

“V Congress of Young Science”, University of Gdańsk, Poland

“Urban design. Art, culture, accessibility”, Bielsko-Biała, Poland

https://galeriabielska.pl/miejski-design-sztuka-kultura-dostepnosc-seminarium-socjologiczne/

Exhibitions & art interventions:

“Rethinking the Architecture of Power” (Riga, Latvia, Nov 2025), featuring an international symposium and an engaging public exhibition

https://www.lma.lv/en/actual-3/rethinking-the-architecture-of-power-art-at-the-edge-of-humanmachine-collaboration-symposium-and-exhibition-november-528-2025

“unLoc | Kombinat” exhibition, presented directly inside the dissonant heritage site of the former Lenin Steelworks in Kraków (Poland)

“close-..” multimedia installation mapped onto the historic facade of the Latvian Academy of Sciences in Riga (Latvia). These interventions were part of a wider series of public artistic research showcases and local exhibitions realized across all four participating countries. An important element of disseminating research results was the final event.

Articles & book chapters:

Ivan, Loredana (2025). The architecture of power: Views of the residents of Bucharest on emblematic communist buildings and the use of AI in creating new meanings. ICERI2025 Proceedings (pp. 6477-6483) IATED.

https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2025.1787

Mandache, L. A., & Ivan, L. (2024). Critical, connected and caring: older adults’ agency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Global Ageing, 1(1), 94-114.

https://doi.org/10.1332/29767202Y2024D000000007

Rădulescu, C., Ivan, L., & Loos, E. (2025). Romanian Older Adults’ Views of the Age-Friendliness of their City: The Importance of Digital Technologies. In Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population (HCII 2025) (pp. 87-99). Springer.

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-92712-6_6

References

Sudjic D. (2011) The Edifice Complex: The architecture of power, Deyan Sudjic Penguin UK

Chaillou S. (2019) AI + Architecture | Towards a New Approach, Harvard University

Chmelnizki D (2014) Stalinist Architecture and Stalinist Ideology. Architecture and Ideology, Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Devos R. (2010) Power, control and national representation in modern architecture and exhibition design at Expo 58

Foucault M. (1977) Discipline and Punish, Pantheon Books

Glenn M. (2003) Architecture Demonstrates Power, Haverford College

More about the unLoc project:

http://unloc.art/

https://www.instagram.com/unloc_project/

https://www.facebook.com/unlocproject/