An article by Philipp Oswalt, an initiator of Sclossaneignung Initiative, in DOM magazine 17, mentions Humboldt Jungle, Hybrid Space Lab’s initiative for greening the Humboldt Forum façade.
Publication Schlossaneignung, Philipp Oswalt @ DOM magazine No. 17, DOM Publishers, Berlin, 1 November 2024
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Unwanted alternative proposals from others for the further development and formulation of the project were systematically thwarted and prevented.
When the architecture team Elizabeth Sikiaridi and Frans Vogelaar from Hybrid Space Lab proposed greening the palace façade in 2016 and based their Humboldt Jungle project on Alexander von Humboldt‘s concept of nature, Wilhelm von Boddien voiced a risk of collapse.
When the planned installation of the Christian cross on the dome was widely criticised by the public in 2017, the founding directors Neil MacGregor, Hermann Parzinger and Horst Bredekamp proposed the installation of Lars Ø. Ramberg‘s artwork Zweifel on the east façade. Although the foundation commissioned the Norwegian artist to carry out a feasibility study and considered purchasing the stored work, it soon cancelled these efforts without giving any reasons.
Berliners Sven Lochmann and Konrad Miller fared no better with their Leuchtturm project, which was intended to superimpose the controversial Bible verse on the dome of the Humboldt Forum at night with texts from an LED light installation. After the foundation and cultural policy had spoken out in favour of realising the project, its implementation planning was pushed ahead for two years and then discontinued for alleged cost reasons.
While the radicalisation of the reconstruction has been willingly paved the way over the past 20 years, every proposal for an intervention that critically reflects the problematic historical symbolism of the site has been blocked.
When the architecture team Elizabeth Sikiaridi and Frans Vogelaar from Hybrid Space Lab proposed greening the palace façade in 2016 and based their Humboldt Jungle project on Alexander von Humboldt’s concept of nature, Wilhelm von Boddien voiced a risk of collapse.
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