Dealing with existing architectural structures has become the most important task facing architects in Germany today. The downsizing, conversion and refurbishment of postwar projects on a vast scale demand a complete reevaluation not only of the structures themselves but also the social and historical implications of their inbuilt energy and resources.
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle: The three terms describe a waste hierarchy that gives the highest priority to the most efficient strategies of minimisation: avoidance comes first followed by direct reuse and, in third place, recycling which changes the properties of the material. This same logic may be applied in setting up a new value system to address existing buildings: the fewer changes that are made and the less energy used, the better the process. Architects find themselves in the unaccustomed role of interpreting and developing existing buildings, which is diametrically opposed to the iconic authorial tenet that currently prevails in this vocation.
Treating built architecture as a material, substantial and formal resource opens up a number of possibilities and approaches. Depending on the depth of the intervention, these range from repair to reorganisation, from extension to complete makeover. The exhibition presents some sixteen strategies that demonstrate the high degree of creative and architectural potential inherent in an affirmative approach to built architecture. Reduce/Reuse/Recycle shows projects and perspectives by architects who take a positive, empowering view of existing structures as an inspiration and motivation for further development.
The contribution is supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS).
