EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE
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Project Description
Developed from the perspective of a young European citizen, the proposal for a EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE presents a manifesto for an alternative form of representation for the European institutions themselves. Thereby the project addresses the necessity to provide places of encounter in the immediate context of citizens' everyday environments – aiming to promote local civic engagement and strengthen citizens' sense of belonging to the European idea and project – our collective future.
Geographical Scope
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Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
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Description of the project
Summary
The project for a EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE presents the results of my master thesis in architecture and urban design, developed over the course of two semesters at the faculties for architecture at ETH Zürich (CH) and at Leibniz University Hannover (DE) in 2021/2022.
Based on a research-oriented analysis of the existing ”Europe Direct Program“, the project presents a manifesto for an alternative form of representation of the European institutions themselves. Thereby, it addresses the necessity to provide citizens with places of encounter and dialogue in the immediate context of their everyday environments – aiming to promote local civic engagement and strengthen citizens’ sense of belonging to the European idea and project.
For that purpose, the design for a European Citizen House is not conceived as a purely speculative project, but, instead, takes a concrete case as an example: the city of Munich (DE) is chosen, where, in 2021, a cross-party group of politicians from the local city parliament started to promote the establishment of such a ”Center of Europe“ in their city.
Situated in that context, the design addresses institutional, programmatic, urban and architectural issues alike, whereby it aims to develop a comprehensive form of representation for the EU on a local scale. A tangible form of representation, that has the power to counter the common perception/image of the EU being a ”remote“ and ”opaque“ organization.
Against that background, the project starts from the author’s own believe, that the quality and potential of the European project lies in its ”unfinished“ character: the EU is a project ”under construction“, presenting all European citizens with the opportunity to participate in, and contribute to the further construction process and success of the EU – a project we all share equally.
Key objectives for sustainability
The environmental sustainability of the design lies in the architectural concept itself: a hybrid building, constructed with simple means, centered around the idea to offer the possibility of structural and programmatic transformation over time. An approach, which aims to extend the life-span of the building beyond its initial use/occupants – a first, essential step towards a sustainable building.
Detailed environmental considerations include, for instance: the structural concept of the building as such, which is based on a minimal-invasive concrete grid, produced of pre-fabricated elements, which allows for the later dissembling of the building and the reuse of its materials.
Further, the layout of the design is centered around two large atriums/winter gardens. Besides their function as weather-protected public spaces, they offer thermic buffer-spaces between the outside and the inside of the building. Through the amount of solar gain produces by the atrium even in winter months, they can reduce heating costs and energy significantly and, additionally, create a comfortable interior climate for the building.
Another objective in terms of the environmental sustainability of the EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE is the contribution it makes to the ”urban ecology“ of the city: the atriums are used as interior winter gardens, planted with a variety of trees and plants. Thereby, the building becomes part of the urban ecosystem – actively promoting carbon capture and storage.
The combination of those environmental concepts makes the building resilient. This resilience, in turn, gives the building an exemplary character, which can easily be transferred onto other types of public hybrid building in various contexts.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
The proposal for the EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE is driven by the idea to design the building as an integral part of the public space of the city. Therefore, the urban/public sphere of the city is ”incorporated“ within the interior of the building: the EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE is not a building next to a square, but a square in itself.
This concept is driven by the believe, that a public building only becomes truly accessible, if it offers soft thresholds instead of hard boundaries – if the building becomes porous in every aspect – in terms of use and in terms of space.
In that sense, the design intends to proof, that porosity leads to approachability. And that approachability, in turn, is a necessary quality regarding the encouragement of civic engagement und public participation: if encounter and dialogue between the European institutions/representatives and citizens/civic organizations shall take place, then the EU needs to provide settings that are less institutionalized and more accessible.
Hence, the building offers two large interior atriums/winter gardens, a public roof terrace that is directly accessible from the surroundings at any time of the day and a public passage below the building, again, increasing the porosity of the building. Further, the cascading interior staircases of the building are not only a means of circulation, but spaces of informal encounter. In addition with the specific functional spaces of the building (class- and conference rooms, an auditorium, a study center/library, etc.) the EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE is an example for a highly appropriable building: an open setting for a democratic society.
Key objectives for inclusion
The very idea and concept of the European Citizen House is inclusion: it addresses the necessity to provide citizens with spaces of encounter and dialogue in the immediate context of their everyday environment – aiming to provide local civic engagement and strengthen citizens’ sense of belonging to the European idea and project by increasing the accessibility of the European institutions themselves.
The project does so, mainly, by redefining the role of the EU itself: in the future EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE the EU itself is regarded as an ”interactive platform“: therefore, the building not only provides spaces for the official representations of the European Commission and the European Parliament, but for civic organizations like NGO’s (e.g.: ”European Forum Bavaria“), local schools, initiatives and citizens alike. Examples include a ”European Class Room“, to be used by local schools for educational purposes, a ”Center for European Studies“, to be used by researchers for their studies on EU-related issues, or a ”Robert Schuman Hall“ – a generous multi-purpose space – to be used for public lectures and debates.
As a public building in the heart of the city, the EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE provides citizens and institutions alike with a central shared space, that can be used and appropriated according to each individual actor’s particular needs. In that sense, civic engagement, public participation and EU-citizen dialogue are key to the project.
Through that overall inclusive character of the design, the EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE presents an exemplary approach to designing public hybrid buildings – not only – but also for the European institutions themselves in the future: buildings, that are open for everyone to participate – in the design process itself, as much as in the later use of the building.
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
The project for a EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE presents a concept for an alternative form of representation of the European institutions on a local scale. Albeit, the design offers a first ”image“ of what such a representation could look and feel like, the design is not an architectural typology as such – a type, that could be transferred onto any other scale or context without adaptation. However, it shows a variety of functional and spatial characteristics, which, in turn, can be regarded as exemplary:
- The EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE achieves environmental sustainability by means of its overall construction technique and concept (aiming for a long life-span, using locally manufactured pre-fabricated components and materials, reducing energy consumption, actively capturing and storing carbon, providing greenery in dense urban conditions).
- The EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE presents an aesthetic concept for an accessible, appropriable, public hybrid building, that is exemplary through its redefinition of the building itself as a public space. It makes the European institutions approachable for citizens on a local scale, whereby it promotes engagement and participation.
- The EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE redefines the role of the EU as an ”interactive platform“. A place, that is open for encounter and dialogue. A place, that includes and combines a variety of functions (official EU-representations, offices for NGO’s, European study center, class-/conference-rooms/public space, etc.) for a variety of actors.
Through the combination of these aspects, the EUROPEAN CITIZEN HOUSE is an example of a future-oriented building: sustainable, accessible, democratic. A building for Europe’s citizens, to work together with the European institutions on the future ”construction process“ of a united Europe. A building that is – in its essence – a shared place and project.
