IBA Hamburg in the Ruhrgebiet industrial area

Thursday, 21 June 2012, 17.30 hrs was the time when experts from urban planning, architecture, culture and politics gathered for the IBA LOUNGE series of discussions. This time, the international building exhibition IBA Hamburg took its national series of events "IBA LOUNGE. Talks on the New City" to the Ruhr district. Bochum was the venue for the fourth stop in the series. Strategies for and visions of urban landscapes, recreation islands and parklands were the centre of the discussions in the historic listed Steam Blower House of the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum. In addition to the projects on the Elbe island of Wilhelmsburg, Europe's biggest river island, future plans for the Ruhr metropolis also played an important role. Following the IBA Emscher Park and the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010, the region is currently focusing on its application for "European Green Capital". Following two talks by Uli Hellweg, managing director of IBA Hamburg, and Simone Raskob, Department Head Environment and Construction of the City of Essen, there was a panel discussion with the two speakers and Ulrich Carow (Head of the Environment Department of the Regional Association Ruhr), Dr. Andreas Kipar (KLA KIPARLANDschaftsarchitekten, Duisburg/Milan) and Dr. Ursula Kleefisch-Jobst (Director and General Curator of M:AI Museum for Architecture and the Art of Engineering NRW). The evening was hosted by Prof. Dr. Oliver Scheytt (KULTUREXPERTEN Dr. Scheytt GmbH and managing director of RUHR.2010  GmbH) as the presenter. 

Hamburg/Bochum, 22 June 2012 – "Everything green for go? Urban landscapes between IBA and capital rating" was the heading of yesterday's IBA LOUNGE, an event format by the International Building Exhibition IBA Hamburg, which was for the first time the guest of the Ruhrgebiet, in the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum. The aim of the evening was to develop joint strategies, solutions to problems and approaches, exchange experiences and provide comparisons out of the topic, which occupies both regions in similar ways.

The Elbe island Wilhelmsburg, often called the city’s “back yard”,  is the largest inhabited river island in Europe. Neglected by urban developers for decades, and in fact completely ignored by many of Hamburg's residents, it is only 7 minutes by city train from the main railway station. Only recently has it become a focus, not only as the result of the activities of the International Building Exhibition and the planned International Garden Show igs in 2013. Innovative landscaping projects such as the Deichpark Elkinsel, the Georgswerder Energy Hill, a leisure circuit and the igs Park are future key attractions of the area.

As IBA managing director Uli Hellweg said, "A trend is emerging in Hamburg that can be felt all over the world. It is experiencing urbanisation, a regular urban renaissance. And as the result, inner-city conversion areas are disappearing; brown field housing reserves are being exhausted because there are hardly any free area in the towns and cities. However, we've chosen a different path in Wilhelmsburg – we’ve opted for urban redevelopment, and we’re creating new urban areas in the transition zones. Here, the challenge is the variety of the area. Tracks and roads criss-cross Wilhelmsburg, but there is also much green, a vast dyke landscape, idyllic Elbe tributaries and an agricultural economy. The aim of the IBA Hamburg is to create, retain and integrate these landscapes in the urban area."

A similar structural change has already been introduced in the Ruhrgebiet by the IBA Emscher Park – with the title of European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 as the provisional highlight. And now there is to be an application for "European Green Capital". What projects could be significant here? What procedures and processes should be used to develop them? How can planning be brought to an international level? The IBA LOUNGE #4 Ruhr wants to discuss exemplary projects from the metropolis Ruhr and from Hamburg's Elbe islands, analyse the image change that is already underway, and formulate possible practical approaches for the future.

Simone Raskob, Head of the Building Department of the City of Essen: "The application for 'European Green Capital' is a new culture of co-operation in the metropolis Ruhr. After the decade of the International Building Exhibition and the European Capital of Culture, this further co-operation illustrates the desire to communicate joint goals in the frame of a dialogue-oriented culture of agreement. The sharpening of the ecological profile will be an important key in the success of the change in economic structure of the metropolis Ruhr." And more: "The uniqueness of the polycentric metropolis Ruhr, with its relatively little urban density and excellent quality of its free spaces, is a unique selling point over other European conurbations (e.g. Paris or London). The region faces the new challenges of the future regarding energy change, climate change and mobility from this structural base. It is oriented to the contemporary requirements in life of a demographically changing society. The metropolis Ruhr is, as it were, the place and state for these processes of change and adjustment. Approaches can be shown that can be transferred to other areas in Europe."

You will find current images of the event at the following link:

Link: http://iba-hamburg.eyebase.com 



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In the event of queries, please contact: IBA Hamburg GmbH, Kristina Hödl, Director Press Office, kristina.hoedl@iba-hamburg.de, tel.: 040 2262 27335, or Anna Vietinghoff, Press Office,anna.vietinghoff@iba-hamburg.de, tel: 040 2262 27331 or presse@iba-hamburg.de