RUNNER UP
TEAM REPRESENTATIVE:
Nela Kadic (AT) – architect urbanist
ASSOCIATE:
Vera Seriakov (AT) – architect urbanist
BASED IN:
Wien – Österreich
EMAIL:
THE ELASTIC CITY
TEAM STATEMENT
“Austrian government‘s struggles with the accomodation of refugees is not a well kept secret anymore. Clearly, this kind of situation demands new strategies. We regard our responsiblilty as urban planners to at least contribute a proposal which not only discusses the quantitative, but more a qualitative way of how to cooperate with people in need in a dignified yet non-sentimental way. 75% of Austrian municipalities do not provide shelter for refugees yet. And still those hosting refugees seem to deal with less xenophobia among the local population. This might be due to the fact that actually knowing what you are confronted with can help you overcome most fears of contacts and lay the foundation for integration of people with different backgrounds and needs. The city‘s adaptibility is its intelligence and sensitiveness to react on human and spacial requirements. In order to achieve these mechanisms, a system has to form a base. By establishing a framework for a socially sustainable growth, we contribute to St. Pölten‘s capability to respond to those future challenges. We believe a clear but flexible system enables a higher stage of freedom and urban variety. Today‘s strategies in urban planning need to react on economic and societal challenges and be aware of their responsibility in order to assist in preventing segregation and poverty.”
JURY STATEMENT
First Session: The proposal of an elastic set of rules for the creation of urban elasticity and adaptability to societal change is interesting and triggers essential discussions about housing construction and urban construction. The proposal evades the subject of housing at first glance and tries instead to answer the question of how a city can develop as an organism. The conceptive approach and the high demand for social mix in the urban fabric are honourably mentioned. At the same time, the generic lack of quality is criticised by some jury members. The concentration of a dense compact structure and generation of central clear space in the west as well as the focus on open landscape in the east initiate positive discussions within the jury. The convincing adaptability of the proposed set of rules could enable a development of the site over a longer period. At the same time, the typological attractiveness of housing in the local context of St Pölten is challenged due to the displayed lack of quality.
Second Session: The project of an elastic framework of urban rules creating a socially diverse mix of 60-70% long term inhabitants to 30% short term inhabitants like asylum seekers and other temporary stay guests is appreciated as an essential political statement and interesting conceptual approach. The theoretical research, its representation and the positioning of St Pölten in a greater radius in Austria offers a vision of a new dense neighborhood of the future and raises the question how to create society in adaptable times. The project is considered as a valuable contribution to the Europan discourse, nevertheless the site specificity for the site in St Pölten is missing.