Topic:
We think we know what “private” is, and where one is in
“public space”. But what exactly happens when someone
works from home for a day via Internet, talks with collea-
gues in zoom, spends time on social networks – and then
goes out for a breath of air in a quiet street in the evening:
Does he / she then go from private space to public space
– or isn’t it rather the other way around? Or when a public
site is sold to private investors, the new building projects
resurrect what they displace – public life – as a value-en-
hancing image. With plaza designs and seating, they sug-
gest the freedom of a supposedly public space. Where then
is the private space, and where the public? Are we more
private when we are out in public without a smartphone?
Is a city square really public when it presents itself publicly?
How can abandoned spaces be put back into public use?
We will address these and other questions in the project
participating in this year’s CityLeaks Festival. Our place of
action is Köln-Ehrenfeld. We want to explore being public
through temporary designs and use urban un/places for
the public. And we will work in the workshops of CityLeaks
in the abandoned railway arcs at Hüttenstrasse.
“public space”. But what exactly happens when someone
works from home for a day via Internet, talks with collea-
gues in zoom, spends time on social networks – and then
goes out for a breath of air in a quiet street in the evening:
Does he / she then go from private space to public space
– or isn’t it rather the other way around? Or when a public
site is sold to private investors, the new building projects
resurrect what they displace – public life – as a value-en-
hancing image. With plaza designs and seating, they sug-
gest the freedom of a supposedly public space. Where then
is the private space, and where the public? Are we more
private when we are out in public without a smartphone?
Is a city square really public when it presents itself publicly?
How can abandoned spaces be put back into public use?
We will address these and other questions in the project
participating in this year’s CityLeaks Festival. Our place of
action is Köln-Ehrenfeld. We want to explore being public
through temporary designs and use urban un/places for
the public. And we will work in the workshops of CityLeaks
in the abandoned railway arcs at Hüttenstrasse.
Process:
Some Ideas went to my head when I was strolling through the streets of ehrenfeld:
I am curious about public spaces changed to private or industrial spaces with the growth of ehrenfeld. I would like to analyse the Ehrenfeld map in terms of Industrial properties, private properties, church properties and rental companies and their growth within the time.
Besides that I was always interested in these “leftover” houses/ walls which are not fitting together with the other buildings around. In my opinion they create this special flair we all love in ehrenfeld. I would love to take a look at the time after the second world war where they had to decide whether to keep and restore a house or build a new one. The shortage of housing led to unspectacular and cheap panel constructions to fill up numerous vacant lots. Lots of inconsistent walls are now used as canvases for big street arts.
Also I am interested in the structural change: how industrial buildings alterated into clubs or bars and culture and now got teared down to create more living areas.
We started a survey about how other people would use this space for:
Result:
The Ehrenfeld district is becoming more and more popular: at the end of 2000, the quarter’s population is just under 97,400. By December 2019 it is close to 110,000
gone up. Thanks to the gastronomy, the club scene and the numerous cultural offers, the Demand for living space in Ehrenfeld is high. The more area, however, for the
Housing construction is used, the less space is available to the public.
In order to maintain the diversity which makes the district so popular, the remaining Space must beused profitably.
In the course of our research we fell between the mostly multi-storey buildings
single-story houses with flat roofs. We photographed them and put them on posters
held. The yellow dots show where they are located in Ehrenfeld.
Buildings with several floors offer more space because they are in the vertical direction is enlarged.
As a result, low buildings take up proportionally more space. This gave rise to the idea of using these roofs as public space. For example a garden, a sports field or an outdoor cinema. How such a “rooftopping” could look like is shown on three posters and in the form of sketches see.
gone up. Thanks to the gastronomy, the club scene and the numerous cultural offers, the Demand for living space in Ehrenfeld is high. The more area, however, for the
Housing construction is used, the less space is available to the public.
In order to maintain the diversity which makes the district so popular, the remaining Space must beused profitably.
In the course of our research we fell between the mostly multi-storey buildings
single-story houses with flat roofs. We photographed them and put them on posters
held. The yellow dots show where they are located in Ehrenfeld.
Buildings with several floors offer more space because they are in the vertical direction is enlarged.
As a result, low buildings take up proportionally more space. This gave rise to the idea of using these roofs as public space. For example a garden, a sports field or an outdoor cinema. How such a “rooftopping” could look like is shown on three posters and in the form of sketches see.
In addition, visitors of the exibition were encouraged to add their own ideas (toppings) on how to use the roofs.
In the end there was a big yellow wall filled with ideas.
In the end there was a big yellow wall filled with ideas.
The rear wall of the railway arch shows an example of how one adjoins a flat roof
Wall could be designed. For example, you could use a basketball hoop
attach or plant flowers and herbs.
Wall could be designed. For example, you could use a basketball hoop
attach or plant flowers and herbs.
The examination of public space in Ehrenfeld has shown that through the redesign of previously unused areas can create new spaces for regeneration, entertainment and Culture.
Even though the context of this project was only related to Ehrenfeld, the continuously decreasing public space is always an increasing problem, also in others cities and districts. The expansion of the city in vertical direction is one approach to solve the conflict between public and private
Space.
Even though the context of this project was only related to Ehrenfeld, the continuously decreasing public space is always an increasing problem, also in others cities and districts. The expansion of the city in vertical direction is one approach to solve the conflict between public and private
Space.
The exibition at City leaks fesival in Cologne Ehrenfeld:
To download the acting in public zine: https://spaces.kisd.de/app/uploads/sites/3509/2021/10/CL21_Zine_Acting_in_Public.pdf
