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In spring 1999, the
Bundesarchitektenkammer (Federal Chamber of Architects) and the Bund
Deutscher Architekten (Federation of German Architects) proposed an
“Initiative for Architecture and Building Culture”, which was launched by
Mr. Klimmt, then Federal Housing Minister, in autumn 2000.
A steering committee consisting
of representatives of the various chambers and associations, local
authorities and Länder followed the development of the initiative and met
regularly to exchange experiences.
A number of events were held
under the heading “Building Culture Initiative”; these included the
Architecture Quartet in Berlin, diverse exhibitions, symposia and
congresses.
In spring 2002, the Federal
Minister of Transport, Communication and Housing presented the first report
on “Building Culture in Deutschland” by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gert Kähler,
Hamburg.
The report analyses the current
situation of building culture in Germany and makes concrete recommendations
to the state, public and private clients, planners, the construction
industry as well as schools and other educational establishments.
The Federal Government accepted
the report and submitted it to the Bundestag. In summer 2002 and autumn
2003, parliament held a remarkably positive debate, which transcended all
party differences, on the question of building culture.
The “Initiative for Building Culture” inspired the idea of establishing a
Federal Foundation for Building Culture in order to focus more attention on
building culture and give it more weight in public debate.
People often ask us whether we
really need “another institution” in the form of a Federal Foundation for
Building Culture.
The reply to this question at
the Convent of Building Culture on 4 April 2003 was unequivocal:
No!
“A
Foundation for Building Culture cannot simply do what many others have been
doing for ages now with great involvement and with no little degree of
success.
A
Foundation for Building Culture must do what nobody or no organisation has
done or been able to do up to now.
The
Foundation must be:
a
seismograph,
an alarm
signal,
a
discussion-promoter,
a
communicator – and perhaps even a troublemaker.
The crucial
precondition for such an organisation is that it must be independent and
maintain equal distance to all parties involved in building. Only in then
will it be able to speak with its own voice and be taken seriously.”
(Ullrich Schwarz, 2003)
What will be the duties of the
Foundation?
The Foundation’s work will be
based on six instruments. It is not intended to function as a sponsor but,
first and foremost, to promote communication.
The instruments of the
projected Foundation for Building Culture are:
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The “Network Debate”: to provide a platform where all of the different
establishments presenting architecture across Germany can exchange
experiences and draw the public’s attention to interesting local and private
initiatives.
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The “Report on the State of Building Culture”, drawn up by an independent
council of experts. It advises the Federal Government on developing the
general conditions for a building culture.
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A “Black-and-White Book”, penned by a number of independent authors. It is
intended to present the quality criteria required by a building culture, to
encourage debate and controversies, and to stimulate discussion.
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The competition “The Capital of Building Culture” is inspired by the popular
European Cultural Capital and the German Garden Show. There is one
difference, however: this competition aims to promote sustainable
development for a specific city/region and to focus the public’s attention
on building culture.
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The “Experiment in
Building Culture” aims to promote exceptionally innovative building projects
that will also attract attention internationally. Among other things, it is
intended to stimulate research and experimental town development. One
example is Jörg Schlaich’s solar tower.
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The “Building Culture
Quality Offensive” aims to draw greater attention internationally to
planning and building achievements here in Germany, e.g. through exhibitions
or contributions at the Architectural Biennial in Venice.
Who supports the establishment
of the Foundation?
The development of the
Foundation is financed from project grants from the Federal Ministry of
Transport, Communication and Housing, grants from Arbeitsgemeinschaft der
Verbände der Planer und Architekten (Federation of Planners’ and Architects’
Associations) and from membership fees of the sponsoring organisation.
Peter Conradi, President of the
Federal Chamber of Architects, Karl Heinrich Schwinn, President of the
Bundesingenieurkammer (Chamber of Engineers), Achim Großmann, parliamentary
undersecretary at Ministry of Minister of Transport, Communication and
Housing and Karl Ganser, the former director of IBA Emscher Park will be
presenting the Foundation and assuming responsibility for promoting the
project.
The presenters will be
supported by a “circle of founders”, comprising 125 people who came together
to discuss the main content of the Foundation in 2002 and sent out
invitations to the First Convent of Building Culture.
The Convent of Building Culture
meets every two years and offers the Foundation expert advice.
Members of the Convent are
winners of the most important national prizes awarded during the last five
years in the following areas:
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Landscape
planning/landscape architecture,
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Town development,
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Civil engineering,
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Architecture/interior design,
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Architectural
criticism,
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The preservation
of historical monuments,
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Clients/the
banking and housing industries.
Permanent guests to the
Convents are the institutions awarding the prizes, jury members and clients.
The Convent continually rejuvenates itself since new generations of
prize-winners take part, whilst older ones retire.
In April 2003, the First
Convent on Building Culture was held in the former Plenary Chamber of the
German Bundestag. Speakers included German President Johannes Rau, Minister
Dr. Manfred Stolpe Minister of Transport, Communication and Housing and
parliamentary undersecretary Christina Weiss. The Convent discussed the aims
of the Foundation for Building culture and approvingly noted the tasks and
instruments of the planned Foundation.
Furthermore, a number of papers
were presented on main issues affecting building culture. These included:
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Communication
about and within building culture.
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The avant-garde,
innovation and experimentation.
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The culture of
civil engineering works.
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The landscape.
On the second day, the Convent
members held discussions and reached a decision to elect a committee.
In autumn 2003, the Convent’s
490 members elected a twenty-member committee from among their ranks by
postal vote. Participation was 81 per cent. The committee, which has twenty
members and met for the first time in November 2003, will continue to define
the tasks of the planned foundation. The committee comprises the following members: Jörg Schlaich, Werner
Sobek, Christoph Ingenhoven, Christiane Thalgott, Werner Durth, Michael
Krautzberger, Werner Sewing, Ingeborg Flagge, Thomas Sieverts, Manfred Sack,
Peter Kulka, Kaspar Kraemer, Hartmut Häußermann, Gottfried Kiesow, Florian
Nagler, Louisa Hutton, Meinhard von Gerkan, Wolfgang Kil, Markus Allmann and
Bernd Hunger. Angela Bezzenberger was co-opted for the area of landscape
architecture, bringing the number up to twenty-one.
In October 2003, all architects
and engineers were informed in general about the foundation and asked to
offer their support in the form of a personal contribution.
The next steps towards
establishing the foundation will be to accompany the legislative procedure
required to establish a foundation, to prepare the content for the Second
Convent of Building culture and to monitor the themes of the next report on
building culture.
The law establishing the
Foundation (and hence the actual establishment of the Foundation) is
expected to take effect in spring 2005, coinciding with the second Convent
on Building culture.
The process of establishing
a Federal Foundation for Building Culture will be followed and supported by
the sponsoring organisation, the Federal Foundation for Building Culture e.
V.,
which has its headquarters in Berlin.
The board members are: Ullrich Schwarz
(Chairman), Kaspar Kraemer, Engelbert Kortmann, Klaus Bollinger, Jörg
Haspel, Bernd Hunger, Ulla Luther, Teja Trüper, Julian Wekél and Engelbert
Lütke Daldrup.
For further information:
www.bundesstiftung-building culture.de
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