After successful completion of the course, students are able to understand the requirements arising from the context and interaction of external conditions of urban development and the internal organization and construction of building structures in dependence on enrichment of functional requirements and to translate them into holistic architectures that take into account both spatial which integrally take into account spatial, social as well as technical and technical concerns at the height of the times.
"Designing architecture today is not about stretching the city into
places where it would not otherwise be. It is about starting from
reality and then enriching it." Jean Nouvel
Inner-city shopping centers are not considered a sustainable typology in terms of sustainability and urban development. They occupy large areas and promote a monoculture focused on consumption, which contradicts the diverse needs of modern cities. Moreover, these spaces often sit empty as retail declines due to online commerce. Alternative uses are needed to ensure sustainable and viable development of downtowns in the future.
Rapoldipark, along with Hofgarten, is one of two parks in Innsbruck and provides a valuable resource for recreation and leisure for city residents. The western boundary of the park is currently formed by the Sill River, but its integration into the park is prevented by another type of parkland - the "Sillpark", Innsbruck's largest inner-city retail center. With a retail area of 30,000 m² and 860 underground parking spaces, it represents a barrier to a future expansion of Rapoldipark and interrupts the important connection to the city center.
Against this background, it is necessary to find a way of dealing with the structure of the shopping center by means of a future scenario to be defined by the project itself. The bridge to the park as well as the connection to the city center represent the starting point. The program is to be developed in relation to the chosen scenario itself. What can communal living together without compulsion to consume look like in the city of the future?
