Green squatters
Volker SCHULTZ (DE)
architect
Claudia STOLTE (DE)
urban planner
Europan 8 Erfurt
runner-up
To face the problem of decreasing inhabitation and high vacancy as well as the lack of public green areas for recreational uses, the projects focus on free spaces and existing unused buildings. The local population is invited to squat and convert these into an attractive living space that meets their needs. The project concentrates on the development of the area along the “Schmale Gera” and proposes a new multipurpose park area. It will inspire new activities such as camping, open air concerts, sports competitions, barbecues, horse riding etc. The local population will play an active part in the redevelopment of their neighbourhood and shape its identity.
Site informations
Erfurt
Synthetic site file EN
This project is connected to the following themes
Housing - Ways of life
Newly created units of row houses restructure the perforated existing urban fabric, attracting a new population as they provide an alternative to the predominantly 1900s building types, which will be renovated and transformed.
Shared spaces - Programmatic patchwork
With the aim of preventing population exodus by creating a more attractive area, the project proposes an intense programmatic strategy for public spaces, with activities such as barbecues, horse riding and open air concerts.
Nature - Hybridity / Juxtaposition
The project proposes to insert built and green programmatic straps. These green strips can take different shapes, from private gardens, to agriculture or public lawns organized around alleys that go through the blocks, reconstructed in a hybrid way between the built and nature.