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Opinion
The New European Bauhaus forms part of the
European Green Deal’s action plan that aims to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent
by 2030 and make Europe climate-neutral by
2050. It will be financed through the EU’s 750
billion-euro NextGenerationEU coronavirus recovery
plan. In her State of the Union address
Ursula von der Leyen called for a “Renovation
Wave” to help Europe move to a circular economy.
She stressed the importance of the project’s
environmental, economic and cultural aspects,
as well as the new Bauhaus’ role as “a co-creation
space where architects, artists, students, engineers,
designers work together to make that happen”.
With the announcement, the Commission
acknowledged two notable points. Firstly, the
idea of Baukultur – architecture and construction
as a cultural activity including its social, economic,
ecological and aesthetic dimension – and
its importance to society, which had been previously
recognised by European Ministers of Culture
in their Davos Declaration in 2018. And secondly,
the key role the construction industry
plays in emissions reduction and the creation of
sustainable and climate-neutral cities and communities.
Buildings account for around 40 per
cent of the EU’s energy consumption and 36 per
cent of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. With
its Renovation Wave strategy, the EU aims to improve
the energy performance of buildings
through stronger regulations and the use of innovative
materials, create green jobs and promote
neighbourhood-based approaches and affordable
housing. The New European Bauhaus
“is intended to be a bridge between the world of
science and technology and the world of art and
culture”. Many details of this vision of a 21 st century
Bauhaus remain hazy. A recently published
fact sheet describes the New European Bauhaus
as a forum for discussion, a space for art and culture,
an experimentation lab, a hub for global
networks and experts, and a contact point for
citizens. In the initial stages, five projects will be
created in different member states of the Union.
The second phase from 2023 onwards will seek
to establish projects and a network both inside
and outside Europe. These pilot projects will focus
on aspects such as natural building materials,
energy efficiency, mobility and digital innovation.
While a further exploration of natural and
sustainable materials as well as the principles of a
circular economy in architecture is commendable,
a lack of political will to enforce a green
transformation of the building sector is arguably
more problematic. Can the European Green
Deal lead to a change in policies and a muchneeded
reform of the construction industry – a
sector that is known to be slow to innovate?
Though the original Bauhaus might not provide
a model for ecological design, its holistic approach,
experimental and innovative character
and ideal of a socially responsible society could
point the way. Beyond its aesthetic, the Bauhaus
had an important political dimension. Its influence
on both architecture and society is still apparent
today. A New European Bauhaus that
draws on the collective spirit of its predecessor
and is based on co-creation and co-design might
be lead to broad engagement and build “a tomorrow
that is greener, more beautiful and humane”,
as suggested by von der Leyen. The New
European Bauhaus’ impact is supposed to reach
beyond Europe’s borders, as “Europe is to lead
the way in the twin green and digital transition”.
A dialogue between cities on a global level is desirable,
yet it needs to be a two-way conversation.
There is much we can learn from cities in the
Global South with regard to climate change adaptation,
community building, rapid urbanisation
and resilience. Good design can indeed improve
lives. During the current pandemic crisis,
the need for affordable high-quality housing and
accessible green public space has become evident.
We have to rethink how we build and inhabit
our cities. Whether the European Green
Deal and the New European Bauhaus can lead to
systemic change and fight climate change, as it
claims, remains to be seen. The EU’s credibility
has been undermined by the recent approval of a
new EU agricultural policy that critics claim will
worsen the climate crisis, while EU environment
ministers failed to strike a deal on its 2030 emissions
reduction target. What has become clear is
that to bring about systematic change and create
sustainable, resilient and equitable cities, architects
and urban designers need to be involved in
decision-making processes. Let’s hope that the
New European Bauhaus will be the first step.
SIGRID EHRMANN holds a diploma degree in
landscape architecture of the Technical University of
Berlin. She works as a freelance landscape architect,
environmental planner and writer. Based
in Barcelona, a city renowned for its architecture,
innovative urban transformations and creative
scene, she conducts research on a variety of topics,
ranging from climate change adaptation, green
infrastructure and urban strategies to detailed
landscape architecture and public space projects.
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