Architekturtage 2012: A different way of living

The Architekturtage took place in Austria and across borders for the sixth time this year. For two days, on June 1st and 2nd, and additionally throughout June 3rd, multitudes of people interested in architecture were out and about in places such as Vienna, and throughout all of Austria’s provinces. They enjoyed about 500 program events, and discovered new perspectives on living.

In 2012, the Architekturtage centered for the first time around a clear thematic focus. Under the motto “A Different Way of Living”, new ways of dwelling were highlighted and presented, and the ways that different styles of living influence one’s personal well-being were illuminated from various perspectives. The pluralism of living situations in the world today challenges architecture to respond to highly diverse needs, and to supply very flexible concepts for living. Current ways of living often take into account sustainability, technology, and economy. They enable living and working under one roof, generations living together, various types of assisted living, and building for young users.

In a direct dialogue, planners and users showed that successful architecture makes residential buildings that are not only more energy efficient, but also create a higher-quality living habitat.

Architekturtage 2012 in every province

Buildings in Dornbirn in Vorarlberg fulfill a range of functions–from single-family homes to hotels, tobus shelters – an active area that sharpens the senses for high-quality living.

In Innsbruck, the Architekturtage built the stattSTUBE, creating a new public space in the city that has already broken attendance records and will stand on the banks of the Inn until September.

The Wohn.info.mobil in Salzburg became a central contact hub for a whole variety
of program events in public space.

In Upper Austria, the Ennskai in Steyr was turned into a public living room that set the stage for an Architekturtage educational program, and in Linz, architecture enthusiasts were delighted by the “home sculpture” by Dutch architecture group
REFUNC.

In Styria, bus tours took visitors to award-winning residential buildings throughout the province and the Maribor cultural capital.

The subject of tree houses was spotlighted in Lower Austria: students from the Vienna Technical University erected one in the Stadtpark in Horn and supplemented it with a series of lectures and films, while children in the Thayatal National Park built “Uncle Karl’s Cabin”.

In Carinthia, a photo contest inspired over 200 people to present their personal living spaces, and a collaboration with the House of Architecture in Ljubljana provided an opportunity to visit the residential buildings of a neighboring country.

Interest in the Vienna tours was especially great with sightseeing tours being offeredby bus, bicycle, and foot, andincorporating many unconventional aspects of living.

In Burgenland, it was also possible to tour by bus or do field research on foot, accompanied by a knowledgeable specialist on the subject of housing construction.


Architekturtage 2012 in Vienna

The Architekturtage in Vienna have traditionally offered the widest range of events related to architecture and architectural culture. The Architekturtage 2012 in Vienna were once again curated, organized, and carried out by the time-proven Austrian Society for Architecture (ÖGFA).

Living in the city means having a flexible network of multifaceted functional spaces both within and without of “our own four walls”. All nuances of an “extended concept of living” were examined, ranging from intimate to private, to community and public, and finally to the representative. The Architekturtage 2012 extended an invitation to expand your personal – and familiar – ideas about living by discovering new aspects and perspectives on housing.

The event program presented innovative forms of housing, focusing on important and unusual aspects of living, and illuminating the interconnection and background of everything from building services to urban development. New and noteworthy buildings were opened for viewing, making them comprehensible and tangible. Spaces that would otherwise remain closed to the public were opened, with designers and users extending an invitation to visit and join in the dialogue.

How individual can life in subsidized housing be? Where do “modern nomads” live? How can living and working be creatively combined? Does my last apartment have to be a hospital room? Which public spaces do people use as a “second home”?

From June 1st to 3rd, tours on foot and by bus took a closer look at these and other current issues in lifestyle and housing. The broad range of educational opportunities about housing in Vienna was presented in the following formats:

Building and construction site visits; guided (theme) tours (by foot, bus, or bicycle);
activities forchildren and youth; neighborhood walks; studio visits; lectures; and
discussions.

As in past years, neighborhood walks were organized with the offices of the Wiener
Gebietsbetreuung to visit outstanding, unique buildings, and discuss various aspects of urban planning, in almost all districts of Vienna.

Focus on New Neighborhoods

Vienna’s population is growing, and thousands of new homes are needed each year. The intense pressure to build means that the issue of goals and visions is a vital topic – these new neighborhoods will influence the quality of life and the face of the city of Vienna.

- Aspern Urban Lakeside
The processes of becoming part of the city and providing infrastructure are continually being developed in a growing city. However, the opportunity to witness firsthand how the largest urban expansion district in Vienna readies the ground for future housing needs – both literally and figuratively –is a rare one. A total of five Architekturtage 2012 events were exclusively devoted to the future housing of the Aspern Urban Lakeside area.

Guided tours of the building site provided a close look at the state of development: the aspern IQ, the U2 subway station construction site, the PROGREENcity micro-houses, the FLEDERHAUS, and the geothermal station. Sprungbrett aspern showed how ecovillage visions can be made into reality, Gartenpolylog inspired people to start urban gardens, and each construction module presented its part of the lakeside project.

- Kagraner Spange
This new neighborhood in the Danube City area is being built in the wake of the U1
subway extension. Its abundant greenery and car-free areas will be reminiscent of old village squares, creating a mix of urban and rural character.

- North Station Grounds
The North Train Station in the 2nd district is one of the largest and most important urban development areas in Vienna. In the 1990s, an urban planning model for the sustainable development of the area was developed, laying down principles and creating conditions for an exemplary urban development. The construction of around 10,000 residences and creation of 20,000 jobs, plus amenities on the 75-hectare site, is planned in stages, and set for completion by 2025.