Projektbeschreibung
In architecture, working on public buildings is an important endeavour, as these serve the public and are symbols of our collective society. And, in the public character of these buildings, architecture is not be understood in a singular way, but rather sits right at the intersection of two ideas: that of ‘publicness´ and ´togetherness´ - it rarely creates either on its own, but it conditions both. ‘Publicness’ and ‘togetherness´ describe two distinct but related dimensions of social life. ´Publicness´ refers to the structural and normative conditions that make people, spaces or actions accessible and visible to others. It concerns questions of access, rights, participation, control and visibility and exists on a spectrum rather than as a simple public-private divide. ´Togetherness´, by contrast, names the lived, affective experience of being with others: a sense of connection, mutual presence, or shared belonging. Architecture cannot enforce togetherness, but it can make it more or less likely. The critical task for architects is not to fail distinguishing publicness with social cohesion, but to carefully align degrees of publicness with opportunities for togetherness, allowing collective life to appear without prescribing it.
The Braunschweig region is one of the most research-intensive regions in Europe. The city of Braunschweig alone is home to almost 20 federal institutes or institutes funded by the federal government. In addition to Braunschweig's most famous research institutions, the Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, other supra-regional institutes conduct research on topics such as infection, consumer protection and food safety, microorganisms and cell cultures, crops, animal health or educational media. Research is also carried out at the city's museums. Last but not least, the TU Braunschweig shapes Braunschweig's reputation as a city of science. Furthermore, the University of Art HBK shapes Braunschweig also as a place of art.
The city of Braunschweig has formulated a plan of action to raise the profile of Braunschweig as a centre of science. As part of that plan a ‘Science Schaufenster’ has been set up in a vacant shop in the city centre, where the city's research institutions can present themselves and bring science closer to the citizens. A digital stele is to be erected at the main railway station to draw attention to local research institutions. This is where the Short Term Architectural Design Project KE ‘Window to the City’ comes in. Architecturally, it picks up on the plans for the station district. The urban space on the forecourt of Braunschweig Central Station and along Kurt-Schumacher-Straße is to be densified. Space is to be created for housing, offices, restaurants, businesses and social facilities. The station district is intended to give the central station an urban environment and create an ‘urban bridge’ to the city centre.
The master plan envisages a gatehouse at the beginning of Kurt-Schumacher-Straße, opposite the main railway station. This gatehouse is intended to be the ‘Window to the City’ and to form a science and art hub. It shall draw the attention of arriving travellers to the city centre and, at the same time, give visitors to the city an insight into the diverse scientific and artistic work being done in Braunschweig. The programme includes presentation niches and workshop spaces for scientific institutions, which are intended to encourage visitors to participate, as well as space for start-ups and artists. A versatile exhibition and event space forms the central location of the building. Calculating the relationship between these spaces and the surrounding urban space means balancing the relationship between publicness and togetherness.
The KE design project will be carried out as a student competition in collaboration with the Bund Deutscher Architektinnen und Architekten BDA. With its support, the best works will be rewarded with prize money. The spectrum of results will be shown in a public exhibition.
The participation in the General Qualifications course “Visualising a Competition Entry” is mandatory to take part in the BDA_Leo Award 2026. Students who are selected for the KE are automatically registered for the General Qualifications course.
Introduction:
Tue 21 July 2026, 17:00
Tutorials:
Tuesdays
Interim critique:
Calendar week 33 (planned for Tue 11 August 2026)
Submission (digitally):
Tue 1 September 2026, 23:59
Presentation and final critique:
Calendar week 37
Submission of competition entry:
Tue 15 September 2026, 12:00
Exhibition and award ceremony:
Beginning of winter term 2026-27
Language:
Introduction and weekly tutorials are conducted in German. Critiques are given in English. Presentations may be held in English or German.
Type of assignment:
Teams of two