Feminine assertiveness
Beton kreativ 2010: Projects for downtown Graz
The Austrian city of Graz was looking for a new landmark and a prize for such was to be awarded in the "beton kreativ" contest 2010. The clear winners were those projects submitted by female participants – they were able to claim the first three prizes for themselves. "The female students from Graz University of Technology have plainly manifested their strengths in interdisciplinary discourse and made full use of the unbelievable repertoire of creative opportunities with concrete," stated a very impressed jury.The winning project "Element" by Valentina Kehrer was awarded prize money amounting to € 3,000; the project in second place "strichCODE3D" by Barbara Simma received € 2,000. The third place with € 1,000 went to a group - Verena Auer, Eva Beyer and Christina Windisch - with "Stadthybrid Congresscenter Graz". Three other submissions each received "highly commended" prizes of € 500. All projects that received awards were able to win over the jury by dint of their all-embracing urban concept.
Future civil engineers and architects at Graz University of Technology were challenged to develop together a building for Graz's inner city with a concrete mantle that would cause a sensation. "If we can already manage to get engineers and architects on the same communication level at universities, then this should bear much fruit later on in practice," explained Dr. Frank Huber, the managing director of Zement + Beton Handels- und Werbeges.m.b.H in Vienna, Austria. In the recent "beton kreativ" contest 2010, prizes were awarded for creative architectural and engineering work that gives expression to the varied fields of application for concrete – using in-situ concrete or precast concrete construction methods – with individual technical approaches to creativity and design. "Interdisciplinary cooperation plays a major role in implementation and practical relevance," said the project supervisor, Dr. Andreas Lechner, Faculty of Building Design Theory, Graz University of Technology. The "beton kreativ" contest spawns new terrain for innovative ideas and ingenious design approaches. The focus remains on concrete as a substance but it should not just be viewed from a design and construction angle. Its creative qualities must also come to the fore – especially in façades. "To formulate concrete as a criterion relevant to design and simultaneously to become more deeply immersed in dialogue concerning the technological, constructional and energy aspects of this building material in cooperation with other male and female colleagues at the civil engineering faculty" was the wording of the collective approach. "The intention was quite deliberate that the full creative scope of concrete surface properties be revealed – these make the widely diverse appearances of facing concrete possible," stated Frank Huber about the basic aim of the competition. "Concrete is absolutely fascinating. It not only has universal applications, it also boasts "sensuous" advantages that nonetheless first have to be drawn out of it." For this reason, an emphasis on materiality was also an essential criterion in judging the entries.
For the first three places, the jury was won over by projects submitted by female students. Valentina Kehrer, first place in the competition, was a clear winner in front of her competitors with her project "Element". Her simple system that can be readily implemented is made from very delicate, serial precast concrete components and occasioned a major impression with its high levels of design quality. It is a free and easy, staggered structure with fascinating perspectives possessing a high degree of integration into the existing urban surroundings. The "strichCODE3D" project by Barbara Sima achieved second place. The jury was persuaded by the merits of a design in congruence with sophisticated floor plans and a lamellar façade paired with a building that mediates lightness from rod structures dissolving upwards. The jury members were also impressed by the "Stadthybrid Congresscenter Graz" project by Verena Auer, Eva Beyer und Christina Windisch. This group of female students scored points with their building's exciting development in height, which generates an effect of well-being by reflecting the surrounding stock of buildings, and gained third place. Three further entries were highly commended: "Concrete Landscape" by Sabrina Britzmann and Wolfgang Jancar, "Queen Elisabeth" by Thomas Kain and "SOL" by Dominik Troppan and Christian Liebminger. The chairman of the jury, Prof. Bruno Krucker from Ballmoos Krucker Architekten, Zurich, Switzerland, admitted being very impressed by the level of the papers. "The complex question formulation – to bring together differing levels from design right through to urban planning – has given rise to diverse, innovative and exciting projects and enabled dialogue of a high standard." The criteria assessed were urban planning quality, distinctiveness and architectural quality, aesthetical consistency in façade design, innovative content in structural design, plus ingenious energy and household system concepts.
Place 1: "Element" by Valentina Kehrer
Aspects relating to town planning, design and technology have been happily married and similarly well portrayed. The staggered building structure conceals fascinating perspectives and blends very well into the formerly void urban environment. By selecting an organic floor plan, the project avoids any constraints at its connecting points to the surrounding heterogeneous urban spatial structure. The building's own structure is formed by a simple support system which is easy to execute and which achieves a high level of design quality with both an openness and spatial depth by means of very delicate, serial precast concrete components. Utilising practically the same ornament as a structural load-bearing element on the ground floor nonetheless weakens the design and seems unnecessary.Place 2: "strichCODE3D" by Barbara Sima
The sophisticated continuous floor plan lines are captivating in this project. These floor plans are congruent to the proposed design. The lamellar façade promises exciting perspectives. The rod structures dissolving upwards also cause the building's volume to dissipate and give lightness to the structure. The building is round on the north side and its dimensions seem excessive and too bulky. Clear street frontages delimit the structure. This rounding off of the building reacts with the surrounding development and creates an urban architectural highlight.
Place 3: "Stadthybrid Congresscenter Graz" by Verena Auer, Eva Beyer, Christina Windisch
The open expanse leading under the house generates an exciting floating in mid-air situation. The construction's development in height ushers forth a refreshing effect by reflecting the surrounding stock of buildings. The building seems to possess the distinctive appearance of a convention centre. The load-bearing system forms the spatial structure and perceptible surfaces as well. It also makes the open expanse ground floor possible.
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