丨美国底特律

Detroit Station for the Arts

How can a simple building show how a dying city may come alive someday again?

Well, it has to be a tiny model of a city, not in a spatial, three-dimensional sense, but in the meaning of building up working networks, funciontal arrangements, structural priorities and breeding grounds for a healthy, strong community. From this point of view it has to be a «city within a city«.

But in contrast to Detroit it needs to be a city that works, that grows, that attracts, that arouses interest and features a community that believes in itself, that feels the urge to build up an new center of culture in their declared dead around.

The idea of the new Central Station is basically self-organization and what I would call «controlled squatting», which basically means that the planned architecture provides basic structures and functionalities which the «squatters» will then develop by themselves.

The approach is reminiscent of actual urban planning, where general framework plans are done for cities, without dictating how every housing in particular has to look like.

Its the only way to have working, non-chaotic structures which are yet differentiable and unique.

In my opinion, it makes no sense to present an finished and polished apartment with its geometric and formal limits to an artist, a person who dedicates all of his life «creating things». It would just limit his liberty, thus destroying the basic idea of DSFA: unlimited flow of creativity.

Once DSFA is inhabited the whole building will develop by itself: Bars, restaurants, shops, concert halls, workshops, classrooms and an complete infrastructure will be created with time, allowing a reasonably self-sufficient life: A city within a city.

Detroit station for the Arts Competition, 1st place