Architecture Matters 2024
Crisis versus Crisis

Beirut versus Munich – when is a crisis a crisis?

On 15 and 16 May, the conference convened in the House of Communications at the iCampus in Munich’s Werksviertel, completed in 2022. With its expansive, two-storey, 130-metre-long foyer and adjoining seminar rooms, the space provided an ideal setting for informal yet intensive discussions. Throughout the hall, wall-sized screens showcased Sergey Ponomarev’s haunting black-and-white photographs of a devastated Lebanon. The images by the Russian photojournalist and war photographer powerfully attest to Lebanon’s remarkable resilience – a place where vibrant life endures, even amidst perpetual crises and an audaciously unconventional state financial policy. Ponomarev’s photographs seemed perfectly at home alongside the permanent display of oil paintings by Anselm Kiefer and sculptures by Tony Cragg and Stephan Balkenhol, as if they too belonged to the venue’s art collection. Above all, the images set the tone for this year’s conference theme: Crisis versus Crisis. How do we navigate crises without unleashing new ones in the process?

Out of the crisis – only together?

Construction crisis, real estate crisis, digital crisis, energy crisis, climate crisis, Ukraine crisis, Middle East crisis … The conference programme addressed a wide range of pressing issues, from the partisan dynamics of German building policy to strategies for sustainable construction in India. From the alarming rise in hacker attacks on government and corporate data systems to streamlining digital planning processes and exploring the untapped potential of AI. What challenges are at the forefront of urban planners’ agendas? What needs to change for investors to return to residential construction amidst soaring interest rates and building costs? And where can we find internationally exemplary approaches and best-practice models for integrating the circular economy into large-scale construction projects?

I’m not going to tell you how to negotiate with blackmailers

The recipe for success includes a broad perspective on other planning cultures, a deep dive into insider circles, and willingness to explore other industries. Traditionally, the opening keynote was reserved for philosophers, but this year, IT specialist Linus Neumann took the stage. A spokesperson for the Chaos Computer Club, Neumann has made a name for himself as a professional hacker dedicated to improving data security for governments and corporations. In one case, he negotiated a ransom of up to 20 million euros with blackmailers who had locked a company out of its own data. Delivered with Berlin-style wit, his entertaining yet unsettling hacker stories also held the full attention of the representatives from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, which has supported the conference for years as part of the Munich Creative Business Week (mcbw).

On the second day of the conference, the keynote speakers – each a trailblazer in their field – did not shy away from confronting the unpleasant or disappointing realities facing the construction industry. Yet, or perhaps because of this candour, the atmosphere during the coffee break, networking lunch, and numerous discussion rounds was defiantly optimistic. The key takeaway? We can tackle any crisis more effectively when architects, administrators, politicians, and the real estate sector work together. But for that to happen, we need to know each other personally and build mutual trust.

I love to take risks, and I expect all my partners to take risks

“We want a shift to happen during these one and a half days. Our goal is for everyone attending the conference to leave with fresh inspiration, ready to take on important tasks and work more effectively with their partners and other professional groups,” said Nadin Heinich, founder of plan A and the mind behind Architecture Matters. Together with Jan Friedrich from the prominent architectural journal Bauwelt, she moderated the keynotes before the 250 participants split into four focus sessions and a speed dating event connecting young architecture firms with forward-thinking project developers.

To kick off the first day of the conference, the grand dame of contemporary architecture, French architect Odile Decq, captivated the audience with her energy and the unconventional buildings she has brought to life during 46 years of independent work around the globe. Her spaces and structures surprise at every scale, from sensor-controlled washbasins in bathrooms to the atriums and auditoriums of her museums and office buildings. “I always take risks, and I expect all my consultants and clients to take risks,” she proclaimed with unwavering conviction.

Politicians only become courageous when they’re no longer in office

The outcomes of political decision-making are readily accessible in the news. But how are those decisions actually made? What do the processes within government look like, and what are the chances of reform proposals being implemented at the Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building? Political journalist Michael Bröcker, editor-in-chief at Table.Media, offered revealing insights into the inner workings of Berlin’s power dynamics. When asked by Nadin Heinich, “Can you win elections with truth?” he laconically replied with a no. His sobering assessment: Politicians lack a unified analysis of today’s multi-crisis reality. For example, the introduction of “Building Type E” into the building code will likely fail during this legislative period due to clashing party interests. Instead, top politicians are preoccupied with debates over the debt brake and renewable energy expansion, while the housing crisis remains nowhere near the top of any part’s agenda – not even within the building ministry itself. Many politicians, Bröcker noted, have strong and often controversial ideas, but they only share them in talk shows and interviews once they’ve left office. His critique didn’t stop at the political class; it extended to the construction and real estate industries represented in the room. According to Bröcker, their lobbying efforts in Berlin are too fragmented and opaque. When the building minister raises an issue, she’s met with 40 different associations, barely communicating with one another, let alone presenting a unified voice. By contrast, other industries are far better organized and, consequently, much more politically influential.

In Bavaria, politicians can react quickly

Where the federal government falters, there are two sources of hope – at least in Bavaria: the Bavarian state government and municipal administrations. Representing the announced Ministerial Director Ingrid Simet from the Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Construction and Transport, Ministerial Director Martin Kraus-Vonjahr outlined his department’s comprehensive measures to combat the construction and housing crisis. These focus on adapting legal frameworks, developing innovative approaches, and promoting housing construction. Currently, 19 pilot projects for Building Type E are underway in Bavaria. There are also model projects focused on climate-friendly urban planning and circular construction; however, the insufficient availability of recycled materials presents a challenge. Particularly for new builds, Kraus-Vonjahr emphasized the need to balance the social issues related to the housing shortage with climate protection concerns, so that solving one crisis does not worsen another. On the issue of over-regulation in the construction industry, Kraus-Vonjahr, a legal expert, shared some striking insights: Of the 3,500 DIN standards relevant to construction, only 300 – around 10 percent (!) – are technical regulations and legally binding. The vast majority are voluntary industry standards, not state-mandated requirements. To simplify building processes, the ministry is collaborating with the Chamber of Architects to streamline these regulations. Since 2021, Bavaria has introduced type approvals for modular construction to expedite approval procedures – a move Kraus-Vonjahr views as a crucial step toward simplification. However, in the subsequent focus session, “Rethinking! Simple, Sustainable, Digital”, architects and Chamber representatives expressed concerns about the implications for their profession. Interestingly, it’s not AI – widely welcomed as a useful digital tool – that raises alarm but rather state-subsidized serial construction, which many fear undermines the cultural significance and creative role of architects.

We need shared risk management between the city and developers

In the subsequent panel discussion, Michael Bröcker was joined by Munich City Planning Councillor Elisabeth Merk, along with developers Alexander Möll from the international real estate company Hines, and Jens Böhnlein from Commerz Real. Commerz Real, a part of Commerzbank, invests its funds in long-term real estate developments, including its investment since 2020 in the renowned Tucherpark, home to the 5-star Hilton Hotel in the English Garden, with a speculated purchase price of €1.2 billion. The overall sentiment in the discussion was that innovative concepts can indeed be at an urban planning scale, but with one condition: the plans must have a long-term horizon, extending far beyond the duration of election cycles. All parties must be willing to take on risks. Elisabeth Merk called for shared risk management that also mitigates the city’s risks. Developers and investors cannot simply protect themselves through shared value management, she pointed out, noting, “Neighbourhoods like the Werksviertel, where we are sitting today, demonstrate that this is possible.” In response to the criticism of overregulation in Munich, she pointed to the shortcomings of the federal government in Berlin: “If we had clear rules from the federal government for socially oriented housing construction, and everyone adhered to them, the [Bavarian] state capital would not need to introduce additional instruments like socially responsible land use (SoBoN).” She added that many investors feel these measures restrict them, leading them to refrain from building.

If we do not experiment, we will not evolve

After a networking lunch in the multistorey hall and a Q&A session with Sergey Ponomarev about his experiences as a war photographer living between Tel Aviv, Prague, and Berlin, the afternoon began with a lecture in English by Indian architect Anupama Kundoo.

“In times of crisis, business cannot go on as usual – isn’t that good news?” she remarked, highlighting how disruption creates the chance to dismantle outdated structures. Unlike Germany, India cannot afford stagnation. As the world’s largest democracy experiences rapid growth, its transformations are far more radical and on a much larger scale than those in Europe. Currently a professor at TU Berlin, Kundoo’s work is remarkable. She researches traditional construction techniques and natural, locally available building materials such as bamboo and clay. Her projects actively involve local communities in the design and construction process. By tapping into the wealth of knowledge held by skilled workers – long dismissed as unskilled labourer due to colonial legacies – she demonstrates how traditional, sustainable building methods can address contemporary challenges.

Stairs connect more than stairs

Next up was Kåre Stokholm Poulsgaard from the Danish architecture firm 3XN, specifically its research arm, GXN. His office is behind projects such as the SAP Garden in Munich’s Olympiapark – a basketball and ice hockey arena for nearly 12,000 spectators. They’re also collaborating with Rotterdam-based OMA on the redevelopment of the BMW factory site to the north of the arena. One standout project is the central atrium of the Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne, where 3XN designed a sculptural wooden staircase, evoking the form of deconstructed Olympic rings. It has become such a lively hub for interaction that the building’s elevators have become practically obsolete.

GXN’s current research focuses on integrating circular economy principles into the construction industry. The aim is to preserve as much of a building’s structure – and the embedded carbon it holds – as possible during refurbishments or conversions. The architects collaborate closely with demolition companies to extract individual structural components, which are then lab-tested for loadbearing capacity and reuse potential. Pre-demolition audits determine which parts of an existing structure can be salvaged. While such efforts might seem pioneering elsewhere, they are already mandated within the City of London. A prime example is Euston Tower – a 124-metre-high building from 1970 that has stood vacant since 2021. GXN has already completed the digital twin of this redevelopment project, which will feature a completely new facade.

Focus sessions and speed dating for young architects

The keynotes provided numerous direct points of reference for the four focus sessions on the capital market, building standards, radical thinking, and the roundtable discussion titled „Umdenken! Einfach, nachhaltig, digital” (Rethink! Simple, Sustainable, Digital). This roundtable, conducted by Dölker& and featuring a keynote by architecture professor Anne Niemann, delivered unexpected results. The BIM representative from the Bavarian State Building Directorate called for less BIM, advocating for lean, tailored data sets over excessive standard specifications. This idea was spontaneously welcomed by IT specialists from ZHA, Sauerbruch Hutton, KSP Engel, and Henning Larsen, who engaged in a lively discussion with smaller planning offices and other firms on topics such as ESG principles, digital CO2 balancing, and AI in the construction process.

Passion versus Crisis

The conference concluded punctually in the early evening with a short report from the moderators of the focus sessions, followed by the final plenary discussion. The diverse line-up of speakers offered valuable insights into the planning culture of Munich, Bavaria, and the German federal government, enriched by thought-proving perspectives from neighbouring European countries, the Middle East, and India.

Reflecting on the day’s discussions, one might adapt a well-known saying by professional hacker Linus Neumann: Crises and disasters cannot be prevented. Whether it’s a cyber attack, natural disaster, or construction crisis, what truly matters is having a network where coordinated strategies are developed in advance. And it’s only a matter of time before the next crises arises. The participants, however, refused to be intimidated by the challenges and doomsday scenarios presented. Anupama Kundoo summed up what many were thinking: “My answer to ‘Crisis versus Crisis’ is ‘Passion versus Crisis’!”

text: Frank Kaltenbach

photo: Verena Kathrein