Care + Repair at the AZW

Located in former warehouse, the AZW public workspace “Care + Repair” gathers six architectural teams to investigate and design new uses of community spaces.

Cristian Stefanescu, This Place Is Pretty Good – 9 architectural approaches to Brăila Danube Riverfront, Brăila/RO, 2015. © Andrea Spreafico

How can we repair the future? And how can architecture and urbanism contribute to this? Care and repair are concrete activities. They are effective at specific locations. For this reason the Architekturzentrum Wien is going beyond the in-house MuseumsQuartier exhibition spaces for the project “Care + Repair”, and establishes a public workspace on the former railway territory of the Nordbahnhof grounds, one of the largest inner-city development zones in Vienna.

Img.1 View of the exhibition “Care + Repair”, Architekturzentrum Wien, Vienna Biennale 2017 17.jpg. Photo © Lisa Rastl — Img.1 View of the exhibition “Care + Repair”, Architekturzentrum Wien, Vienna Biennale 2017. Photo © Lisa Rastl

The “Care + Repair” project initiates a trial run on the Nordbahnhof, as an exemplary slice of urban space, with its old and new neighbours and impressive overgrown grounds. The official urban planning concept fore-sees to keep the large-scale overgrown area with the old water tower and the coexistence of lizards, toads, birds, and recreational users open for the public. The curators Angelika Fitz and Elke Krasny have invited six international architectural teams to develop proposals prototypes. They are doing this in tandem with local initiatives and experts, such as the residents of social and cooperative housing in the neighbourhood, schools, local clubs and societies, local artists and cultural workers, as well as universities of art and of technology. How can different urban knowledge effectively come together in neighbourhood networks, new uses of community spaces, the reuse of existing material resources, and the care for nature in the city?

Img.2 View of the exhibition “Care + Repair”, Architekturzentrum Wien, Vienna Biennale 2017 17.jpg. Photo © Lisa Rastl — Img.2 View of the exhibition “Care + Repair”, Architekturzentrum Wien, Vienna Biennale 2017. Photo © Lisa Rastl

The Architekturzentrum Wien public workspace is located in a former warehouse, the Nordbahn-Halle, next to the water tower, to be used on a temporary basis by “Care + Repair” with partners in the longrunning Mischung: Nordbahnhof research and development project. It is to become an inviting location with a mix of trial uses for the new city district.

Img.3 Rotor, Spoor Oost Project, Antwerpen/BE, 2014-2015. © Andrea Ferreri

“Care + Repair” prototypes begin their development with what is already there, what should be cared for and can, in fact, be repaired. The task requires a transdisciplinary approach. An exhibition in the Nordbahn-Halle shows projects by the six invited teams. Documentation of the work in progress on the “Care + Repair” prototypes is added to this “growing exhibition”. The prototype development process is launched with an international symposium. The public is invited to join the workspace for site-specific walks, talks, and workshops, to practice repairing the future together. These activities are to be accompanied and documented by studio Asynchrome (Marleen Leitner and Michael Schitnig).

Img.4 Cristian Stefanescu, This Place Is Pretty Good – 9 architectural approaches to Brăila Danube Riverfront, Brăila/RO, 2015. © Andrea Spreafico

care&repair

Img.5 View of the exhibition “Care + Repair”, Architekturzentrum Wien, Vienna Biennale 2017. Photo © Lisa Rastl

care&repair

Img.6 View of the exhibition “Care + Repair”, Architekturzentrum Wien, Vienna Biennale 2017. Photo © Lisa Rastl

Img.7 Luftbild Nordbahnhof ÖBB. © ÖBB/Redl

Img.8 Zissis Kotionis und Phoebe Giannisi, Nothing to Do with Dionysos – Dionysos Tub, 2011. © Phoebe Giannisi

Img.9 Modernism in Use, Marseille/FR, Rosario Talevi mit Urban School Ruhr / Open Raumlabor / Urbane Künste Ruhr, 2016. © Gary Hurst/Courtesy of Urban School Ruhr

Img.10 Aktion_Arkiv (Archivwagen) with Meike Schalk, Sara Brolund de Carvalho and Helena Mattsson, Tensta konsthall, Stockholm/SE, 2014. Courtesy of Tensta konsthall (Tensta Art Centre)

Img.15 Cristian Stefanescu, This Place Is Pretty Good – 9 architectural approaches to Brăila Danube Riverfront, Brăila/RO, 2015. © Irina Pata

The “Care + Repair” project recognises that such work involves a long-term commitment to the future. Therefore, starting in 2017, the curators Angelika Fitz and Elke Krasny put forward for the first time a “Care + Repair” perspective in architecture and urbanism on new forms of exchange, cooperation, research and communication for a period of three years, with the goal of creating a contemporary approach to a prospective Care + Repair architecture and urbanism. “Care + Repair” is neither a new architectural style nor a new approach to urban planning. In spite of the powerful shadows of modernism, which built on the promise of a better and technically feasible future, this is about a new attitude toward a future that will always be in need of repair. Architects and urbanists have to care for this future.

until 1 October 2017
Care + Repair
Curators: Angelika Fitz, Elke Krasny
Architecture teams: a-works – Cristian Stefanescu/Bergen; GABU Heindl Architektur/Vienna; Zissis Kotionis+Phoebe Giannisi/Volos; Rotor/Brussels; Meike Schalk/Stockholm; Rosario Talevi/Berlin

Care + Repair at the AZW

Located in former warehouse, the AZW public workspace “Care + Repair” gathers six architectural teams to investigate and design new uses of community spaces.

care&repair

care&repair

Latest on News

Latest on Domus