graz (at

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IntErvIEW

of the Site’S repreSentative bErnHArd InnIngEr, Director of the DepartMent of urban DeSign, city of graz bErtrAM WErlE, Director of urban planning, city of graz

presentation of the site within the context of the city development and in terms of strategy

graz is a fast growing city, but with limited settlement development areas. city development thus focuses on consolidating inner city zones that already have excellent infrastructure. the intention is to create energy-efficient, resource-saving city districts with low emissions that can offer the highest in quality of life. a new energy self-sufficient city district is to be established in the heterogeneous former industrial area of Waagner biro next to the main train station. the aim of the “Smart city graz” project is to develop an urban district with mixed uses and a high quality of life. in addition to creating high-quality residential space, the municipality’s further important priority objectives are to implement quality public spaces, establish attractive green footpaths and cycle tracks, provide optimal links to public transport and cut back on private car use. the aim is to demonstrate energy technologies for the intelligent «zero emission» city for the first time here in the course of an integrative planning process.

How can the site be integrated in the issue of the adaptable city and how do you consider this issue?

the site demonstrates the re-structuring processes that go into shaping a city in the course of its history: it was once a marginal zone characterised by its industry and on the “wrong side of the tracks” at the main station. it is now completely surrounded by urban structures. the decline and fall of its former role has now opened up the opportunity for an entirely fresh definition of this area. changes in population structure, in prosperity, in the social environment and in the employment market have brought new ways of living with new needs and demands on urban spatial structures. the development of structures that are neutral usage buildings will be one of the most important challenges for the sustainable and smart urban development of the future. graz citizens will be brought into the planning process through active urban zone management with provision for information and participation and an interdisciplinary expert forum to coordinate and adjust urban developments of the future. the lively exchange between domestic and international partner cities is intended to support learning and reflection processes and also to ensure the wider impact of the results.

At the time of sustainable development coupled to an economic crisis, have you already defined a specific strategy for the urban development of the site?

in order to guarantee sustainable development in times of economic crisis, the city of graz uses civil law contracts to regulate the joint procedure with the landowners and investors as a means of assuring the required qualities for the implementation of Smart city. value added taxes, mobility contracts and ppp models support cities in their efforts to make urban development possible during times of recession. national and european funding channels provide significant support for this complex and integrated planning process and make it possible to direct substantial additional finance into urban technologies.

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atelier aStWerk SebaStian jenull, SanDra tantScher, SchörgelgaSSe 3 8010 graz, auStria t. +43 6642335791 office@tantScherjenull.at WWW.tantScherjenull.at

thoMaS perz (at) inDuStrial DeSigner WilfrieD Stering (at) builDing engineer reinholD Weinberger (br) architect

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iMpleMentation of builDingS

typology anD phaSing Strategy of uSeS – “fraMeWork” anD “beach houSe” yarD, beach houSe anD fraMeWork bucket liSt 4 – kiSS unDer StarS

the bucket list – feel the city

team point of view the site is characterized by its schizoid fringe conditions: heavy infrastructure in the east, calm housing developments in the west. as a possible response we suggest a flexible and adaptable framework, which creates urban edges and borders while remaining open and permeable. the built grid can be filled with different uses. the suggested configuration of buildings with the big yard in between, are the grid for a wide range of different uses, such as housing, work, leisure and school. urban rhythm takes place in the open spaces, which also give the city identity. these spaces are occupied with the components of the bucket list, which trigger people´s emotions and invite users to act in certain ways. experiences and the associated feelings of happiness become part of collective memory.

jury point of view the project creates a whole set of proposals to enhance and trigger emotions relating to a variety of qualities that are created out of the “already there” of the place, reading its potential as a mixture of actions, situations and spatial developments. it follows that the overall plan is published as a manual that suggests a series of steps to be taken. the manual introduces the identity of the area as an amalgam of hard and software operations, in which infrastructural interventions (bridge), the re-cycling of abandoned structures (industrial shed) and technological topics are linked to scenarios of appropriation by different populations.

Site plan

Section

polyrhythmic fields

team point of view the concept is based on a chessboard-shaped polyrhythmic landscape, where each field acquires a different rhythm from its inhabitants. the chessboard layout provides equal access to open areas. Polyrhythmic fields are created in the form of squares, sports field, parks and playgrounds. in primary school area, the street becomes a schoolyard, between housing areas, the street becomes a playground and between sport fields the street becomes a park. Different adaptable scenarios are presented for the middle of the project site and the ground level strategy – the 5 m height and different typologies can be adapted to different programs. the project also implements urban scale approaches to energy efficiency and the environment (rooftop gardens / greenhouses, local food production…).

jury point of view the concept of a polyrhythmic landscape, which accommodates the different rhythms of its inhabitants, is seen as a convincing approach, introducing the added value of 24-hour-use of green spaces. Moreover, a chessboard-system suggests an intensification of the relationship between clusters of built development and green areas, at the same time offering a balanced interface between built development and outdoor spaces. the small transversal access roads appear as micro public spaces, defining the pattern of the chess-board system.

polyrhythMic fielDS

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plan

layout of lanDScape qualitieS With polyrhythMic fielDS

StuDio SWeS architectS, alManSa 4 41001 Seville - Spain t +34 667557451 StuDioSWeS@gMail.coM WWW.StuDioSWeS.coM

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smart base

team point of view the project takes on the challenge of suggesting a space in which educational and ordinary living uses coexist. it looks at the school as a contemporary public space of culture and learning (not only sports and leisure) going beyond the strict classrooms program. the municipality would provide only one complex building offering the representativeness demanded for the outskirts, the idea of a great Dwelling Machine as an urban structure. because of the large numbers of dwellings, great parallelepipeds of narrow corridors form. these break up the volumetric impact of the high density suggested building. the slenderness of the constructions makes them visually impressive and provides the area with landmark features.

jury point of view using the two rather remote references of hilbersheimer and Sanaa, the project establishes an aesthetically and programmatically unifying structure, absorbing school and housing along with urban uses into a single structure. the project suggests an interesting ambiguity, simultaneously both object and structure.