aac workshop, Hamburg – New York
02.09. to 26.09.2014

This workshop was under the guidance of
Prof. Dr. h.c. mult. Dipl.-Ing. Meinhard
von Gerkan, President of the aac and
Dipl.-Ing. Architect Stephan Schütz

Documentation of results (web-optimised)

The name Brooklyn Rapid Transit Powerhouse refers to a large coal-fired power station built at the end of the 19th century to generate electricity for Brooklyn’s streetcar system. A New York philanthropist recently purchased the property with the intention of developing a diverse, non-commercial incubator for Brooklyn’s young art scene which, in a socially sensitive and uncomplicated fashion, will provide the art scene with spaces and a place of identification. Together with a team of specialists and in an intensive dialog with the local scene, the owner has developed a differentiated programme which focuses on providing different studios, art workshops employing different materials and techniques, as well as spaces for exhibitions, events and teaching. The program will be realised on the basis of the existing volume, with the potential for further extensions on the site.

As a consequence, the assignment required incisive concepts which explored the potential synergy of the historical and the modern as well as doing  justice to an architect’s social and cultural responsibilities.

The assignment called for a differentiated approach to both the site’s history and Brooklyn’s special urban and social features. All workshop participants had the opportunity to thoroughly explore the assignment and the location in a joint excursion to New York, to attend lectures and to take part in an onsite ad hoc design seminar together with students and professors from the renowned Pratt Institute of Design in Brooklyn.

Photos: jochen stüber fotografie

Participants: Gabriela Colmenares, Kay Fischer, Jin Haibo, Sarah Hüttner, Katharina Keese, Luisa Managò, Joseph Ruiz Tapia, Anne-Kathrin Schneider, Paul Scrugham, Mark Streich, Anastasiya Vitusevych, Wang Shuxiao, Wang Yu, Olga Wasjuta, Margaret Wells, Xia Junrong