Another Double Success for Weimar in the »Studienpreis Konrad Wachsmann« (»Konrad Wachsmann Student Prize«)

54 papers from university’s in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Brandenburg were submitted for the award, now in its seventh year. This year's jury included Dr. Uta Gelbke (author and  trade journalist, Oldenburg), Michael Schoener, BDA architect (Schoner and Panzer Architects BDA, Leipzig) and Christian Schmitz, BDA Architects (Ellertmann Schmitz Architects BDA, Münster, and member of the BDA Federal Presidium). Three prizes of 800 euros each and two prizes of 200 euros each were awarded. 

The awards ceremony took place on 19. September 2020 in the Konrad Wachsmann Haus in Niesky.

Jury assessments and acknowledgements on the Weimar works:

Anna Kopácsi
RITUELLER WEG DER TRAUER (Ritual Path of Mourning)

Supervisor: Prof. José Mario Gutiérrez Marquez (Chair of Architectural Space and Design), Prof. Johannes Kuehn (Chair of Structural Design; Building Construction)

Where to put grief? What might a cemetery that offers space for various mourning rituals look like? The writer approaches this question with great sensitivity and answers it with a series of different indoor and outdoor areas. The path of mourning is lined by contemplative spaces and rooms. Individual privacy is just as possible as being together.

Eight simple square areas are set up in different ways to allow access and light in. The repeated use of a basic archetypical form supports the focus on the contrast between closed and open. There is nothing to distract; architecture emerges from the interplay between mass and emptiness. The created spatial situations are varied and appropriate to the respective function of the structures. The repetition of the basic form is as consistent as the choice of materials, such as rammed earth, oak and brass.

The jury appreciated the uniformly high quality of the work, from the concept to the presentation of the design in drawings, models and text. The indoor photos of the models were particularly impressive in how they conveyed the poetry of the design. Atmospheric photos of rough and warm surfaces, soft rays or bright beams of light allow the rarely discussed concept of death to be approached without fear. The design bears witness to an intense examination of the topic. The great attention to detail has created architectural solutions that remain reserved and unobtrusive.

Andreas H. Mischke and Pascal Schettki
IN CORPORE. NEW REPLACEMENT BUILDING ESSENHOF NORD, ZURICH

Supervisor: Prof. José Mario Gutiérrez Marquez (Chair of Architectural Space and Design), Prof. Karl-Heinz Schmitz (Chair of Design and Complex Theory of Buildings)

The first thing that stands out in the new replacement retirement home in Zurich is its innovative approach to urban planning. Two block-shaped structures and two towers set in an environment characterised by row buildings, consciously closing existing urban planning lines and creating new ones. Bends and indentations frame a central, meandering open space, promoting a sense of community.

The design is both a sophisticated solution to a housing problem and a successful typological study. The block and tower design contrasts the relationship between indoor and outdoor space. Courtyard access to the pergolas creates a convincing communal recreation area and the balconies wrapping around the towers offer more private, loggia-like spaces. An interesting interplay is created as residents are seen when they step forward from the façade and then disappear from view as they retreat into the privacy of their niches.

The judges considered the work to be very mature, considering the competent approach to urban planning and the architectural requirements. The models’ details are outstanding and support the overall superior quality of the design.

Information on all prize winners can be found here:www.wettbewerbe-aktuell.de/ergebnis/studienpreis-konrad-wachsm-129887