Learning from Bauhaus

 

A unique Israeli-German pavilion is being constructed in Tel Aviv in 2015. We asked Robert K. Huber of the “zukunftsgeraeusche” architecture platform, the company leading the project, three questions on the venture.

 

Mr Huber, you are about to head out to an unusual project that will be starting in Tel Aviv on 15 September. What is it about?

The project involves trainees and students from both countries planning and constructing a German-Israeli pavilion. The unusual aspect to this project is precisely this collaborative planning and building. In all of this, we will be focussing on a sustainable approach to the materials and architecture. The dovetailing of planning and construction, i.e., of practical and theoretical approaches, is firmly in the Bauhaus tradition.

 

How many students and trainees are involved?

We have a total of 32 participants, but the pavilion in Tel Aviv is just one of the projects in a whole range of exchange projects we will be working on together. The entire program is financed by the German Federal Environmental Foundation, which is also a strong advocate of sustainable cross-border education and development. This year, in 2015, the year in which we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the focus is also on German-Israeli encounters and our shared legacy, the Bauhaus, which is is a great and positive heritage both countries share.

 

What is the goal of your project?

We are aiming at interaction between equal partners, as regards both planning and practical work, on the one hand, and Germany and Israel, on the other. We want to learn from the people from the respective other country while simultaneously considering at the different educational backgrounds. Why does one person chose to build, the other to plan? We will concern ourselves directly with the respective architectural cultures. Why are structures constructed the way they are, what are the differences and the common features? How are global challenges addressed, such as climate change, and which demands are there at the local level? Where does architecture reflect historical aspects? All of these questions create opportunities for dialogue and deepen our mutual understanding.

 

The “Israeli-German Pavilion” will be erected in Tel Aviv as part of the “Israeli German Sustainable Building Education” (IGSBE) program in September and October 2015. The project is supported by the Federal Foreign Office.