How can we repair the future? And how can architecture and urbanism contribute to this? For the exemplary trial run of a Care + Repair urbanism the Architekturzentrum Wien is initiating a public workspace with a closeness to nature on the former railway territory of the impressive Nordbahnhof grounds, one of the largest inner-city development zones in Vienna. This is the gathering point for six international architectural teams who are developing prototypes for Care + Repair in tandem with local initiatives and experts. How can different urban knowledge effectively come together in neighbourhood networks, new uses of community spaces, the re-use of existing material resources, and the care for nature in the city? An on-site exhibition shows projects by the invited teams, showing how Care + Repair architecture works with the existing city and takes it into the future. Documentation of the work in progress on the Care + Repair prototypes is added to this „growing exhibition“. The prototype development process is launched with an international symposium. The public is invited to join the workspace for site-specific walks, talks, workshops, and a care choir, to practice repairing the future together.

The Az W public workspace is anchored on the Vienna Nordbahnhof grounds, next to the water tower in the Nordbahn-Halle, which is to be used on a temporary basis with partners around the „Mischung: Nordbahnhof“ research and development project. It is to become an inviting location with a mix of trial uses for the new city district.

International teams of architects:
a-works – Cristian Stefanescu/Bergen, GABU Heindl Architektur/Vienna, Zissis Kotionis and Phoebe Giannisi/Volos, Rotor/Brussels, Meike Schalk/Stockholm, Rosario Talevi/Berlin

Local experts and initiatives include:
u.a. Zuzana Ernst/Brunnenpassage, Can Gülcü, Martin Riesing, Hansel Sato, Beatrice Stude/IG Lebenswerter Nordbahnhof & stape og planning consultancy, Integrationshaus, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien/Institut für das künstlerische Lehramt/Fachbereich Kunst und Bildung/Elke Krasny und Siglinde Lang, Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien/Masterstudium Social Design/Brigitte Felderer, TU Wien/design.build studio/Peter Fattinger

Drawing in Residence: studio ASYNCHROME

Curators: Angelika Fitz, Elke Krasny

Care + Repair Programme Highlights 2017:
20 June 2017: opening reception, 8pm
21 June – 31 July 2017: public workspace with a growing exhibition, guided tours, discussions, consultations with the teams of architects, workshops for adults, youths and children, and much more
30 June 2017: Care + Repair Symposium
09 July 2017: Progress report on the Care + Repair prototypes

Mischung: Nordbahnhof R&D Project
Care + Repair is part of the three-year long Mischung: Nordbahnhof research and development project which involves the following partners: Department Housing and Design and Department of Spatial Planning/Sociology, Vienna University of Technology (Lead), Erste gemeinnützige Wohnungsgesellschaft Heimstätte, STUDIOVLAY, imGrätzl.at. The project is funded by the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund and realised as part of the Smart-Cities-Initiative. The temporary use of the Nordbahn-Halle is supported by the ÖBB-Immobilienmanagement GmbH.

Thanks to: Erste Group Bank AG