Bridging Productivities

TEAM DATA

Team Representative: Sascha Bauer (DE) – architect; Associates: Jonas Mattes (DE), Ender Cicek (DE), Jannis Haueise (DE) – students in architecture

Sophienstrasse 24b, 70178 Stuttgart, Deutschland (DE)
+491729828027 - saschadanielbauer@gmail.com

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^{S. Bauer, J. Mattes, E. Cicek & J. Haueise}

INTERVIEW

1. How did you form the team for the competition?

Within our studio we analysed the different sites and decided to work on the site of Romainville, as we all were interested in discussing the questions connected to the site. We built a team around mutual interests connected to this site.

2. How do you define the main issue of your project, and how did you answer on this session main topic: the place of productive activities within the city?

Productivity for us closely revolves around the question of valuing the existing. Productivity should arise from improving the existing situation, structure or systems, and not from negating them in order to “start over”. Hence, existing local forces should be included in all thoughts rather than bringing in alien ideas from outside.

3. How did this issue and the questions raised by the site mutation meet?

The brief of the site didn’t question the complete demolition of the old highway, including the overpass. Our approach was to critically ask if parts of the existing structure would contain the value to be part of the new transformation. Our proposal raises the question if the overpass wouldn’t be better transformed as a new piece of urban infrastructure for people rather than cars and keep it as a local landmark.

4. Have you treated this issue previously? What were the reference projects that inspired yours?

Some of us contribute to the non-profit association Stadtlücken e.V. in Stuttgart, initiated by young designers from various disciplines. It was founded out of a need to raise awareness of public space and city experience, and to promote a digital-analogue network for the joint development of a liveable city. We currently work in cooperation with the City of Stuttgart on a municipal experimental field: the urban square ‘Österreichischer Platz’. Here, citizens and neighbours can try out and evaluate together with the association which atmospheres and uses this particular square tolerates, what can be sustained and how different interest groups can live together in public space. The ‘Österreichischer Platz’ also is a highway overpass in the city centre.

5. Urban-architectural projects like the ones in Europan can only be implemented together with the actors through a negotiated process and in time. How did you consider this issue in your project?

Cooperative processes always take time and mutual interest. By focusing on what is already there we aim to create an initial intervention to start a discourse in the local community. By using what is already there as a place to meet the local community has the chance to come together in an informal setting and discuss what future they desire for their neighbourhood.

6. Is it the first time you have been awarded a prize at Europan? How could this help you in your professional career?

Yes, it is the first time and we are very proud of it. There are so many ideas out there and Europan gives young professionals the chance to discuss all these on different platforms and occasions. This will certainly be an advantage for young people’s thoughts about a liveable future and will bring together people with similar intentions.

TEAM IDENTITY

Office: STUDIO CROSS SCALE
Functions: Architecture, Urbanism, Cultural Heritage
Average age of the associates: 26 years old

Has your team, together or separately, already conceived or implemented some projects and/or won any competition? If yes, which ones?

1st place, category urban space, federal competition European City change and values – sucessful development of existing structures, with Stadtlücken e.V. Special Mention, Weißenhof Architekturförderpreis WAFG, 2018, with Satdtlücken e.V.