Urban Transitions Lab II
International Urban Design Studio, 2023/24
Multi-Dimensional Densities for the Saumweber Site in Munich
Cities are undergoing constant transformation, and their transition towards more resilient and sustainable urban models is an urgent matter. They must adapt to changing climatic conditions while developing new strategies to foster sustainable mobility, build with sustainable resources, provide adequate and affordable space for existing and new uses, rethink urban production, and address the biodiversity crisis. This ongoing process of urban restructuring comes with a broad range of challenges, because space is a scarce resource, while the adaptation capacity of conventional urban models is limited. In view of these challenges, it is necessary to conceptualise new approaches and forms of urban development, in which conflicting objectives are not understood as requiring either–or solutions, but as the starting points for co-existence and diversity. The Urban Transitions Lab has been established to engage with these urban tasks and questions from different perspectives.
During the 2023/24 academic year, the second Urban Transitions Lab, titled “Urban Transitions Lab II: Multi-Dimensional Densities for the Saumweber Site in Munich,” focused on a site in Thalkirchen, Munich. We experimented with multi-dimensional densities and multi-functional urban configurations and used them as tools for designing urban spaces. In this approach, density was understood as a key to the efficient use of space and should not be limited to built-up volume. Rather, social, ecological, functional, and ambient densities were considered as dimensions to be taken into account, along with the temporal dimension through which these different forms of density unfold and interact with each other when planning for the sustainable transformation of cities.
Redevelopment sites offered a valuable opportunity to experiment with new densities within an existing urban fabric. In the studio, we examined a site in southern Munich that was expected to transform from an industrial site into a yet-to-be-defined urban future. The site offered an opportunity to explore density in its broader sense, in all its dimensions, to make the most of the specific location and to achieve high-quality built and open spaces that make a difference and are fit for the challenges ahead.
We would like to thank Dr. Rupert Saumweber for making this project possible, for providing insights into the history of the company, and for giving us a tour of the Saumweber site. Many thanks also go to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andrea Benze for sharing material and acting as a guest critic in the studio.
Results
Images without explicit attribution were produced by the Chair of Sustainable Urbanism at the Technical University of Munich or present comparisons of design proposals developed by the students listed below.
The complete project documentation is available for purchase as a brochure (Language: German) from the Chair of Sustainable Urbanism. Further information can be found under Publications.
Student Team
Elena Aguiló López, Benjamin Barbera Cortada, Justine Bardel, Valentine Beigneux, Adélie Bichot, Maren Blaga, Amelina Brandes, Ladina Anita Bürgisser, Aleyna Canpolat, Davide Cuneo, Anna Marleen Dietrich, Alice Dubrulle, Kim Dupont, Sophie Ethier, Elisa Fabian, Waldemar Fierro Rubio, Leo Golovanov, Tom Gronostay, Stefan Gross, Jette Hackenberg, Alexander Markus Hänsch, Quentin Hudry, Noah Kaßner, Yana Kharchanka, Eva Klar, You Na Lee, Maxence Lefebure Lestorey de Boulongne, Noa Maleuvre, Zoreslava Marchuk, Elene Meburishvili, Moritz Meditz, Adrien Muchir, Daria Mustashkina, Julia Nefahina, Jana Alina Oelze, Alp Özalp, Sena Özkan, Eduardo Pimenta do Vale Santos, Matias Pose, Clarissa Posten, Dorian Rocton, Nina Sevšek, Joana Soares Trivellato, Louis Sourieau, Ismaël Sow, Luana Spalluto Grisolia, Mira Steinkirchner, Jakob von Trotha, Eva Vouillon, Jinshan Wang, Weronika Wójcik, Wang Yaxi, and Chaeeun Yoon