The current processes of change in the environment, economy and society are also fundamentally changing the way we look at the landscape and how we deal with it in planning.
The new exhibition “NatureTecture” by the Chamber of Architects of North Rhine-Westphalia shows how our landscape has developed over the past centuries and what challenges landscape architects are currently facing.
Publication NatureTecture @ Deutsches Architektenblatt, Germany, 1 March 2010
NatureTecture
“Today, landscape is a rare and sensitive commodity that we must treat responsibly for the benefit of future generations,” emphasized Hartmut Miksch, President of the NRW Chamber of Architects, at the opening of the exhibition. In a densely populated and built-up state like North Rhine-Westphalia, the targeted planning and design of natural spaces, landscapes and usable areas not only has an ecological and economic function, but increasingly also a social one. Accordingly, the “NatureTecture” exhibition, which analyzes and presents 13 thematic fields of landscape architecture, deals in several thematic blocks with the design of urban community parks and facilities, the recreational value of nature, the design of leisure and play areas and the connection between nature and culture. A central field of activity for landscape architects is dealing with natural spaces that have been damaged by human intervention. “All over the world, industrial landscape spaces are losing their function and are up for grabs,” explained Lutz Lienenkämper, Minister for Construction and Transport for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, at the vernissage in the House of Architects.
These areas could be upgraded with landscape architecture concepts. “NRW faced up to the challenges of restructuring at an early stage, for example with the Duisburg-Nord Landscape Park, the Garden of Remembrance in Duisburg’s inner harbor or numerous slag heap projects along the Emscher.” These and other examples are presented conceptually and with large, attractive photographs in the “NatureTecture” exhibition – the first exhibition of its kind to date, as Minister Lienenkämper emphasized. “naturetecture” was curated by Prof. Elizabeth Sikiaridi and Prof. Frans Vogelaar. “Due to the global challenges of the post-industrial age and the urgent tasks in times of growing ecological problems and emerging climate change, a growing interest in landscape architecture can be seen worldwide,” believes Prof. Sikiaridi. “As North Rhine-Westphalia faced up to the challenges of restructuring comparatively early and in an innovative way, the state has a wealth of experience in dealing with post-industrial landscapes. The task of the international traveling exhibition “naturetecture” is to communicate this know-how.”
The focus is not on the presentation of individual projects and personalities, but on the tasks and instruments for qualifying landscape in the post-industrial age. The exhibition is visually impressive thanks to the high-quality photographs by Julian Roeder and Johannes Schwartz, which are not used for illustrative purposes, but rather as a conceptual introduction to the respective themes. The Ministry of Construction and Transport of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia supported the development of the exhibition as part of the state initiative StadtBauKultur NRW. It is designed to be bilingual throughout (German / English) and will also be shown internationally following the presentation in Düsseldorf. Dates in Istanbul and Shanghai (Expo 2010) are already being planned.
“NatureTecture”, 11.02.10 – 19.03.10, Haus der Architekten, Zollhof 1, 40221 Düsseldorf, Mon. – Thurs. 08.00 – 17.00, Fri. 08.00 13.00. Admission is free.
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