Garage complexes are mapped
Preparation for a European Capital of Culture 2025 project
The European Capital of Culture Bid Book II outlines a large number of projects that will be realised by 2025. These include the "3,000 garages" project. Before it officially starts next year, the Capital of Culture team will learn more about Chemnitz's garages as part of a scientific mapping project in collaboration with Munich University of Applied Sciences.
As a first step, Chemnitz garages will be surveyed from 30 May to 3 June by 110 architecture students from Munich University of Applied Sciences under the direction of Prof. Dr. des. Luise Rellensmann and Dipl.-Ing. architect Jens Casper in collaboration with the Capital of Culture project team.
The key questions for the investigations are
- Where in Chemnitz are the garages located and how did they come about or become what they are?
- What types of garages are there?
- What communal models and complexes are there?
- How do garages contribute to the architectural diversity of Chemnitz?
- What social activities are developing around the garage courtyards?
The students will analyse the architecture and characteristics of the various facilities. In their work, they will measure individual garages and garage courtyards, take documentary photographs from the outside and enter into dialogue with interested garage users. Where the students are allowed to visit by the owners, they will also take a look inside the garages and document the spaces in accordance with data protection regulations.
Notices in the garage complexes are currently announcing the upcoming campaign. Participation in this project is voluntary for garage owners. The garages and yards will only be entered in the outdoor areas. No person will enter the interiors of garages without authorisation or without the consent of the garage users, photograph them or record them in any other way.
In cooperation with the City of Chemnitz and the Chemnitz City Archive, the students will analyse the construction history of selected facilities. An initial overview of the mapping will be produced during the course of the project week. This is a joint building survey by the Department of Monument Conservation, Building in Existing Contexts and Building Survey at Munich University of Applied Sciences with the aim of visualising the GDR garages in the city of Chemnitz as part of its architectural heritage.
The student survey follows on from the project "The Garage Manifesto" carried out in Cottbus in 2017, which was published as a book by Park Books in 2021.
The results of the survey week will also be used temporarily by the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 GmbH in the context of the European Capital of Culture project "3,000 Garages" in accordance with data protection regulations. The data will not be used or passed on for private commercial purposes.
Further information can be found at www.chemnitz2025.de/3000garagen
Contact by e-mail: 3000garagen(at)chemnitz2025.de.