The German contribution to the Biennale, „Open for Maintenance – Opened Due to Renovation“, is dedicated to the spectrum of repair, restoration, and maintenance of the built environment. The concept functions as a kind of laboratory for best practices, thereby taking up the Biennale’s overarching theme, as conceived by Lesley Lokko: “The Laboratory of the Future.” We spoke with curator Anh-Linh Ngo ü about the urgency of täglich maintenance, his commitmentä commitment to sustainable building, and, of course, ü about the German Pavilion.
Mr. Ngo, in this magazine’s interview series, we explore the many dimensions of sustainability. So let’s get right to the point: What has changed in the last füve years in architecture and the construction industry?
The construction industry is slow-moving because building takes a long time. Changes usually don’t become apparent in the actual built environment until much later. The new generation of architects is actively advocating for sustainable building practices. A startup like Concular, which specializes in the digital inventory of used materials and building components, is championing the circular economy and fighting against vacancy and demolition. Or architects are getting involved in professional associations and politics. That gives me confidence.
What influence does construction have on the development of our society?
Architecture manifests and shapes social relationships. It forms the physical framework for community or anonymity, integration or exclusion, public space or privacy. However, the fact that the construction and maintenance of buildings account for about 40% of globalCO2 emissions requires swift and consistent action if the construction transition is to succeed.
And to what extent does resource scarcity influence our cities?
Current ö developments clearly highlight the value of existing buildings, such as the demolition moratorium recently called for by various climate initiatives and professional associations ä such as the BDA. The appeal, which I also supported as one of the first signatories, states: „Every demolition requires a permit subject to the public good, that is, an assessment of the social and öcological environmental impacts.“ This once again highlights the spatial interconnection between ecological and social issues. While preserving existing buildings cannot stop the gentrification of entire neighborhoods, it can slow down the process.
What opportunities do you see for architecture and urban development over the next 20 years?
Sustainability and social aspects are mutually dependent. To achieve a sustainable future for everyone, the social relationships among those involved in shaping the built environment must also be realigned. This includes those who maintain and preserve the existing built environment. Furthermore, users’ behavior should change. Architects must pay attention to those neglected spaces and infrastructures that enable all people within the social fabric to participate. The opportunities offered by such a social architectural practice could lead to new ways of thinking about design and social issues together in the future—and that is what we aim to inspire with the German contribution.
Congratulations once again on being selected for the curatorial team of the 2023 Architecture Biennale. How did that come about?
In 2021, Arch+ published an issue titled „Contemporary Feminist Spatial Practice“. Maintenance and care work in architecture was one of the topics for which we presented the project „San Riemo“. The Summacumfemmer consortium and the Juliane Greb office designed the entrance hall of the cooperative housing complex as a space for care work for residents. Here, residents can do laundry, tinker, and ö have their children looked after. An exemplary project! The jury of the DAM Architecture Prize agreed, awarding the „San Riemo Residential Building“ the 2021 prize. My colleague Christian Hiller and I then invited the consortium team to apply with us for the curatorship.
Can you tell us about the German Pavilion and your goals?
We first addressed the Biennale and its sometimes negative impacts on Venice. Every year, resources are squandered on a grand scale for exhibition architecture and then discarded as worthless trash. We wanted to help recognize the work of those who care for and maintain the green spaces, pavilions, restrooms, and artworks. The many „collateral events“ attract massive numbers of tourists, which is increasingly displacing local residents. Housing and öpublic spaces are also coming under increasing pressure.
This is exactly where we came in: By converting the German Pavilion into a functional infrastructure, we created a platform. In doing so, we gave people the space and a voice to resist this trend. Another goal was to connect Venetian and German initiatives working on äsimilar issues.
How does your concept support the theme „The Laboratory of the Future“?
We provide a platform for Venetian and German projects and connect them. After all, they address pressing issues of the future, such as the circular economy, water scarcity, care work, the right to the city, and self-empowerment through personal initiative. That’s exciting! Projects aren’t presented in the traditional way with text and photos, but as tangible, spatial principles within a functioning infrastructure.
So how do we raise awareness in society—that is, among all of us—to act more sustainably?
We used the Biennale to present a broad spectrum of interventions, positions, and collective forms of organization. We’re seeing growing acceptance both within the architecture and construction industries and among the Öpublic. By supporting people and initiatives—some of whom have been successfully fighting for this cause for decades—we draw attention to possible courses of action. These are good examples for taking action ourselves.
But a quote from Alfred Andersch’s story „The Cherries of Freedom“ also comes to mind as particularly fitting. The first issue of ARCH+ already stated this back in January 1968: „I hope I will always refuse to try to üconvince people. One can only try to show them the Möpossibilities from which they cöan choose.“
Interview: Ute Latzke
