Page 8 - C.A.L.L. #41 - Summer 2016

choir rehearsal of the "Women Living," an all-female cooperative in Munich, or children playing in the
inner courtyard of the "Kalkbreite" cooperative based in Zurich, which transformed a former tram depot
into a building with living quarters, work spaces and leisure zones. What all of these films have in
common is the interaction of and with the people who live in these novel settings.

An insight into the Spreefeld project in Berlin (Germany). Photo: Ute Zscharnt

The occupants are the focus of these projects rather than the architects, which in itself is quite unusual,
seeing as this is an exhibition of buildings in an architecture museum. It is clearly not about the
ingenious design of a single architect and the most ecological facade or the most cleverly devised
material concept. No, it's about the interaction of people who live in these buildings.

It's not written in stone that entrances and hallways have to be dead spaces in which people hope not to
encounter anyone else. Nor is it imperative that the space between buildings, and which, by rights,
belongs to the public, is given to the public. In fact, quite the opposite.

As costs soar

The exhibition demonstrates what a city can gain if it specifically and intentionally supports such
cooperatives with financial aid and cheaper plots, as has been the case for decades in Vienna and
Zurich. It's not just inhabitants who move into these buildings, but also public life itself. A good example
is "Kalkbreite" in Zurich. The small workshops, shops and restaurants on the ground floor make this an
attractive spot even for people who don't live there. And the large green spaces and inner courtyards
make these projects hum with life, because they are also easily accessible to the general public. But
conflict is nevertheless still a part of that way of life.

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