The Impact of Post-War Urban Development on our Cities

An Exhibition by the Association of German Architects BDA

11.09. – 15.11.2009 // Opening 10.09.2009

Curator: Kai Vöckler

Cities are constantly changing. Their urban structures represent different layers of time. IN DER ZUKUNFT LEBEN (Living in the future) portraits urban situations that are characteristic post-war urban developments in East and West Germany. Visual documents, interviews and films open up a view on the original designs as well as transformations until this day and point out the cultural identity of these urban spaces. The exhibition presents the Rheinstraße in Darmstadt and the Prager Straße in Dresden, both streets are intra-urban axes that influenced the cities’ development. Housing developments in Halle-Neustadt and Bremen-Neue Vahr will be shown as well as Suhl in the Thuringian Forest and Friedrichshafen by Lake Constance to represent post-war architecture in middle-scale cities.

With LIVING IN THE FUTURE and the accompanying symposium RE-VISION IDEALS! the Association of German Architects BDA seeks to alert the public to the need for a wide-ranging examination of the existing topology of post war urban development. The exhibition at the German Centre for Architecture DAZ is a tribute to the continued vitality and viability of the post war modernist legacy and how it has become intrinsic to our urban history.

Exhibition: 11.09. – 15.11.2009 // DAZ Scharoun Saal

Tue to Fri 12.00 am – 7.00 pm, Sat+ Sun 2.00 pm – 7.00 pm.

Entrance free.

PRESS PREVIEW: 10.09.2009, 5.00 pm

OPENING: 10.09.2009, 6.00 pm // DAZ Taut Saal

Speakers:

Dr. Ulrich Hatzfeld, Head of Department for Urban Affairs at the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs

Michael Frielinghaus, President BDA

CITY PORTRAITS by the exhibition authors:

Silke Steets / Darmstadt, Rheinstraße

Friederike Meyer / Dresden, Prager Straße

Jan Wenzel / Halle-Neustadt

Florian Heilmeyer / Bremen-Neue Vahr

Anne König / Suhl in the Thuringian Forest

David Kasparek / Friedrichshafen by Lake Constance

Presented by Kai Vöckler, Curator

Accompanying Program:

05.11.2009, 7.00 pm // DAZ Taut Saal

RE-VISION IDEALS!

A symposium on the ideas and ideals of modernism and their impact on, and relevance for life in the city of tomorrow.

13.11.2009, 7.00 pm // DAZ Taut Saal

POST-WAR MODERNISM IN GERMANY – Re-Imagining An Epoch

Podium discussion to accompany the launch of a new publication on planning strategies and new guidelines for an appropriate contemporary treatment of the urban built environment of the post-war modernist era.

Catalogue

The catalogue IN DER ZUKUNFT LEBEN! Die Prägung der Stadt durch den Nachkriegsstädtebau (LIVING IN THE FUTURE! The impact of post-war urban development on our cities) is published in line with the current exhibition. With contributions from Martha Doehler-Behzadi, Andreas Denk, Kai Vöckler and the city portraits by Florian Heilmeyer, David Kasparek, Anne König, Friederike Meyer, Silke Steets, Jan Wenzel, with photos by Felix-Sören Meyer. Edited for the Association of German Architects BDA by Kai Vöckler and Andreas Denk. 176 pages, incl. 96 pages in colour. Published by Nicolaische Verlagsbuchhandlung GmbH, Berlin. 19,80 EUR, ISBN 978-3-89479-567-2. In German language.

IN DER ZUKUNFT LEBEN // LIVING IN THE FUTURE is an exhibition of the Association of German Architects BDA and is under the auspices of the Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, Wolfgang Tiefensee. It is supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs. Exhibition curator is Kai Vöckler.

For further information about the exhibition and the accompanying program please check the attached press release and our website www.daz.de