IBA Thüringen

By going beyond the realms of town and village and positing the notion of STADTLAND, we focus on putting change at a regional scale on the agenda, and look at systemic solutions, such as the central question of renewable energy provision. In the context of public services and infrastructure, for example, the IBA Thüringen sees the larger and smaller towns of Thuringia less as local centres than as a network of zones that interact in diverse ways with their surroundings. This is the spatial framework within which to cultivate and develop the potential and capital of each for the STADTLAND of tomorrow.

How we deal with and utilise existing resources is one of the most important areas of development. Rather than propagating continual growth, making new land resources available and promoting new building construction, the IBA Thüringen supports projects that make proposals for the continued use, conversion and repurposing of existing sites and buildings. The IBA Thüringen is specifically interested in approaches that make minimal interventions to the built environment. Economic approaches and simple standards are seen as positive qualities when applied with purpose to achieve an economic and ecological benefit for Thuringia.

The IBA Thüringen will explore new forms of organization and collaboration as well as collective systems of governance. The emphasis lies on fostering new alliances, community-oriented projects and co-productions between society, the market economy and the state. The IBA Thüringen is not just about achieving good results but also about fostering and developing model innovative processes.

The IBA Thüringen champions excellent architecture and design. It promotes projects that combine creativity, experimental and innovative approaches, and an open outlook with excellent design. In keeping with the spirit of a building exhibition, the intention is to find contemporary expressions for architecture and design that are appropriate to Thuringia and make a visible contribution to a new, digital, ecological and regional building culture. In line with our programme, we look for solutions that make a difference with a minimum of means, solutions that in their architecture, urban or landscape design get to the heart of the matter, solutions whose qualities lie in the details rather than in grand gestures. 

The IBA Thüringen’ s projects come about in different ways. In 2014, the ‘Zukunft STADTLAND!’ state-wide call for projects resulted in the nomination of 16 IBA Candidate projects and the formulation of 3 IBA Areas of Expectation by the IBA’s Advisory Council. In addition, the IBA Thüringen identifies furthers areas of action and investigation, seeks partners for specific projects and also undertakes self-initiated projects. Ideas and proposals that are promising and unconventional are first nominated as IBA Candidates. As they progress and demonstrate their innovative potential, good design and feasibility, they are put forward for realisation as IBA Projects.

IBA Projects are about promoting high standards. They should be radical in their approach, forward-looking, especially with respect to the themes and aims of the IBA, creative in the implementation and of an excellent design standard. They should be regional in their focus but global in their outlook. They should be willing to depart from the beaten path and act as beacons of good planning and building both in terms of their process and end product. The IBA Projects are intended as model examples of transformation in the realms of town and country. Through their approach and quality of design they should have the potential to act as an ‘open source’ of inspiration for other similar projects, locally as well as internationally.

For the IBA Thüringen, exhibitions are a means of communicating and transporting the ongoing programme, projects and processes of the IBA. These activities take place in three milestone years: in 2015, the IBA undertook its first STADTLAND Summer. The IBA presentation year in 2019 coincides with the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus. And in 2023, the IBA Thüringen will act as a public and international window onto the process of change.

The IBA Thüringen sees itself as a public platform and actively seeks dialogue with the people of Thuringia. To this end, a number of different formats have been developed. The ‘IBA Salons’ each address a key theme of the IBA Thüringen in collaboration with a single partner: they offer new professional insight and aim to extend horizons beyond the realm of Thuringia to include national and international input. ‘IBA Conferences’ take place approximately once per year as an opportunity to discuss specific aspects of the IBA Thüringen in depth. In addition, a variety of workshop meetings and public events will take place on site with the IBA Candidates.

The IBA Thüringen publishes a magazine at the beginning of each year that reports on the activities and developments of the preceding year and provides an outlook on the next stage of developments. The magazine presents the IBA Candidates and Projects while the panorama section reports on stimulating ideas from the national network and international scene. The magazine can be ordered from the IBA Central Office.