Darmstädter Architekturdialoge

VII | Die Architektur des Dazwischen

We design spaces. But how much of what emerges between people can actually be designed? Architecture is never merely the organisation of space, function and movement. Every design also enables or constrains relationships: proximity and distance, publicness and retreat, access and exclusion. Architecture creates conditions for social action – without being able to fully determine what happens within them.

This tension lies at the heart of the work of social.form, an architectural practice for project development, space and action based in Darmstadt. The practice develops and realises socio-cultural projects, spaces and interventions in which architecture, participation and collective action intersect. Its work focuses on appropriation, cooperation and the question of how space can become a medium for collective processes.

The seventh Darmstädter Architekturdialoge takes this practice as a starting point for a broader question: How can architecture create spaces for encounter and collective action without prescribing social relationships?

The discussion will explore public space and Urban Commons, appropriation and temporary uses, participation and the responsibility of architects and planners. At its core is a fundamental challenge of architectural practice: How do we design for a future whose social uses and meanings we cannot fully anticipate?

The Darmstädter Architekturdialoge ask what this ambition means for architectural practice.

Cost: From €15 participation fee

Registration:www.formdialog.de/dad

Arriving by Bicycle

Rundeturmstraße is centrally located in Darmstadt and easily accessible by bike. There are several bicycle racks in the immediate vicinity. The Darmstadt–Frankfurt cycle expressway leads directly into the city centre, offering a fast route for cyclists.

Public Transport

• By Tram: The stops Schloss (lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 9) and Luisenplatz (all lines) are within short walking distance.
• By Bus: Numerous bus routes stop at Luisenplatz, from where it is roughly a 5-minute walk to Rundeturmstraße.
• By Train: From Darmstadt Central Station (Hauptbahnhof), you can reach the city centre in a few minutes by tram (lines 2, 3, 5, 9) or bus.

Arriving by Car

As Rundeturmstraße is situated in the city centre, there is no direct parking at the building.

Recommended multi-storey car parks nearby:

• Parkhaus Schlossgaragen (Karolinenplatz 3, approx. 3-min walk)
• Parkhaus Justus-Liebig-Haus (Große Bachgasse 2, approx. 5-min walk)
• Parkhaus Ludwigspassage (Wilhelminenstraße 10, approx. 7-min walk)

Accessibility

Toilets in the basement are not wheelchair accessible.

The Darmstadt Architecture Dialogues are a curated event series for architects and planners who understand architecture as a cultural and societal practice. The series is initiated, curated and moderated by Olya Dikow, a strategic consultant and brand designer with a background in architecture. She works at the intersection of architecture, identity and dialogue.