Aktuelles

Luxemburg, 11. Mai 2022
Paperjam + Delano Club

In der Veranstaltungsreihe 10×6 Architecture, die vom Paperjam + Delano Club organisiert wird, stand das Event am 19. April unter dem Titel »Passion«. 10 Vortragende stellten je ein architektonisches Werk in 6 Minuten vor, das sie bewundern, ohne es selbst entworfen zu haben. Christine Muller sprach über ihre Leidenschaft für das Sommerhaus von Roland Rainer in Sankt Margarethen-Burgenland. Der Video-Mitschnitt ihres Vortrags ist unter folgendem link verfügbar:

https://paperjam.lu/article/christine-muller-10×6-architec

Im Rahmen dieser Veranstaltung beantwortete Christine Muller darüber hinaus drei Fragen. (Écrit par Paperjam + Delano Club)

What is the biggest challenge architects and urban planners are facing right now?

»Are we talking about independent architects and urban planners who run companies and are affiliated to the OAI*, or are we speaking about those who are working in construction, real-estate businesses or as civil servants? I think that different groups face different challenges and do not have the same agenda. In each of the groups you will meet highly skilled people who are passionate about their work and are keen to achieve big things. Unfortunately, Luxembourg has a poor collaborative culture, and this leads to a lot of misunderstandings. If everyone is just busy defining and protecting their territory, there is not so much energy and time left for building up trust and understanding. So, the biggest challenge is to learn to listen to each other, to understand different points of view, to acknowledge our constraints and to integrate stakeholders’ needs. But I doubt that independent architects and urban planners have any power to achieve that. If money and law are the only benchmarks and if the urge for quality management and good communication is considered as a luxury problem, we will continue to have pseudo-communication. However, I am confident that this will change, as we host so many different cultures in Luxembourg and there is already a perceptible shift towards more transversality and diversity.«

Which building design are you the most proud of and why?

»I think pride is always a trap. The most important achievement for an architect and urban planner is to keep up the passion and the love for these wonderful professions… against all odds!«

Which Luxembourg development do you consider an eyesore?

»I do not think that eyesore is the right description for unpleasant projects. Our urban environment is the product of long and conflictual processes. Good examples show that the process itself has been well designed and monitored. You need a board of experts who do not have any conflict of interest. You need a governance masterplan that clearly formulates the goals and means, and you need a protocol for quality-control. If, for example, you want to build a lively neighborhood, but prioritize the needs of one, and only one group of stakeholders, the project is doomed. Why is Cloche d’Or perceived as an eyesore by many people, when there are several nice buildings there? Because road transport has been prioritized under the pressure of the government, who cannot invest in a road of national importance without allowing a certain number of cars using the road in a certain time. If there had been a balanced assessment of interests according to the governance-masterplan, that urban highway would never have been built. So, the so-called eyesore is more a manifestation of a systemic problem than an aesthetic problem and this is exactly what makes people feel so uncomfortable, though they cannot describe why.«