E/PRO

This semester, we are designing a fictional building that gives physical form to the culture of debate as the foundation of a sustainable democratic society. Our starting point is the assumption that architecture can help to re-anchor the culture of debate more firmly in everyday life.

Digital media create new opportunities for networking and exchange. At the same time, they do not replace the qualities of direct interaction. This makes physical spaces all the more important—places where different perspectives can come together and where interaction, shared thinking, and civil debate are possible.

The goal is to create a forum for StreitKultur: an open, inclusive, and adaptable space for individuals, associations, initiatives, and diverse groups within the city’s society. We understand a culture of debate not as escalation, but as the ability to make differences visible, to tolerate differing viewpoints, to listen, and to engage in productive discussions. This applies not only to discursive and intellectual formats but also to playful, cultural, and athletic forms of engagement on equal footing.

As a testing ground, we have chosen a location in downtown Kassel, in the immediate vicinity of City Hall. Right next to the city’s political center, we aim to create a space that facilitates informal encounters, visibility, participation, and new forms of coexistence—especially for those who often receive little space or attention in everyday urban life.

At the heart of the design is a flexibly usable “space for debate” with its associated infrastructure, as well as two complementary uses. The outdoor space is also to be conceptually developed as part of the forum. The goal is not to create a place of mere consumption, but rather a resilient spatial structure capable of accommodating diverse uses and fostering exchange, friction, community, and a new public sphere right in the heart of the city.

Studio Day: Thursday starting at 2:00 p.m.

Tutorial: Monday starting at 2:00 p.m.

First meeting: Tuesday, April 14, at 4:00 p.m. in Torhaus B, Room 0102

We look forward to a semester with you that thinks from the perspective of the present and creates spaces that make a difference and enable free discourse!