Der Europa Salon – Le salon de l'Europe

Democracies thrive when people from all walks of life can engage in dialogue without fear. Open exchange forms the foundation of a functioning representative democracy.

While the design of parliamentary chambers has followed established typologies over the past 250 years, we are only at the beginning of considering which spatial atmospheres best support more improvised forms of conversation. After all, the course of a debate is significantly shaped by the qualities of the space in which it takes place. At the same time, every architectural action—every gesture, every style—inevitably addresses certain groups while excluding others. Architecture and interior design students take up these challenges both through documentation and design.

The project aims to provide points of connection for actors across all political levels: on the one hand through a “Handbook of Debate Space Design” (working title), and on the other through the design of a “European Salon” on a real site in Strasbourg, which illustrates one possible ideal implementation. To this end, the students engage with local stakeholders, documenting conversations, spaces, and concerns. A workshop and an exhibition bring together and debate all collected ideas and proposals.