Designing-Cities: a Walk
The city offers numerous opportunities to view it from different perspectives - and to actively help design it. World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, in cooperation with the German Design Graduates Initiative of the German Design Council, invites to a guided city walk through Frankfurt. Together we would like to explore three central themes: Vacant buildings, defensive and dementia(un)friendly architecture.
On our walk, we will visit an empty department stores' floor, analyse public spaces in Frankfurt's city centre and conclude the walk with the Dare to Design exhibition at the Museum Angewandte Kunst. The two graduates Luise Kempf and Irini Schwab, who are exhibiting as part of the German Design Graduates, and Dr.-Ing. Valerie Rehle, interior designer, urban designer and dementia researcher, will provide exciting insights and professional input.
Stop 1: Vacant space in department store
Location: Karstadt (vacant floor)
At a location that symbolises the transformation of urban spaces - an empty Karstadt floor - the potential of unused buildings is brought into focus. Based on her thesis, Luise Kempf explains how department stores can be transformed into flexible and communal living spaces. The contribution invites visitors to discuss the possibilities of utilising vacant buildings and to explore the opportunities and challenges for future urban design together.
Stop 2: Design and occupying space
Location: Willy-Brandt-Platz
At the next stop, Irini Schwab and Anna Ulmer will take a closer look at Willy-Brandt-Platz and its immediate surroundings together with the participants. They will discuss the lack of design as a method of displacement and draw parallels with Hansaplatz in Hamburg's St. Georg district. Both squares are characterised by their diverse and contrasting locations. They are characterised by inhospitable architecture. Their contribution to the city walk aims not only to sensitise people to design mechanisms, but also to initiate processes of participatory design of conflict-laden public spaces.
Stop 3: Forgotten in the city
Location: in the urban area
The design of urban spaces has a direct influence on how people with dementia live and move around in them. However, there are few strategies and concepts applicable to urban planning when it comes to the question of how residential neighbourhoods, living environments and public spaces should be designed to support people with dementia in leading independent lives. As part of her dissertation, Dr.-Ing. Valerie Rehle searched for answers with people with dementia and students of design disciplines. During the city walk, the participants gain insights into the navigation strategies of people with dementia and discover dementia (un)friendly typologies and functions.
More about Dr.-Ing. Valerie Rehle
Stop 4: Dare to Design
Location: Museum Angewandte Kunst
Guided visit of the exhibition Dare to Design with Katrin Krupka.
around 13:30 – End of the event
Date: 30 November 2024
11:00–13:00 (Fully booked)
alternative date: 12:00–14:00 (Fully booked)
Meeting point: Konstablerwache
The presentations will be held in German.
Registration
Please register for the city walk by 22 November 2024. Participation is free of charge, but the number of participants is limited.
Alternatively, you can also register by e-mail to hello@wdc2026.org.
Designing-Cities: a Walk
The city offers numerous opportunities to view it from different perspectives - and to actively help design it. World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, in cooperation with the German Design Graduates Initiative of the German Design Council, invites to a guided city walk through Frankfurt. Together we would like to explore three central themes: Vacant buildings, defensive and dementia(un)friendly architecture.
On our walk, we will visit an empty department stores' floor, analyse public spaces in Frankfurt's city centre and conclude the walk with the Dare to Design exhibition at the Museum Angewandte Kunst. The two graduates Luise Kempf and Irini Schwab, who are exhibiting as part of the German Design Graduates, and Dr.-Ing. Valerie Rehle, interior designer, urban designer and dementia researcher, will provide exciting insights and professional input.
Stop 1: Vacant space in department store
Location: Karstadt (vacant floor)
At a location that symbolises the transformation of urban spaces - an empty Karstadt floor - the potential of unused buildings is brought into focus. Based on her thesis, Luise Kempf explains how department stores can be transformed into flexible and communal living spaces. The contribution invites visitors to discuss the possibilities of utilising vacant buildings and to explore the opportunities and challenges for future urban design together.
Stop 2: Design and occupying space
Location: Willy-Brandt-Platz
At the next stop, Irini Schwab and Anna Ulmer will take a closer look at Willy-Brandt-Platz and its immediate surroundings together with the participants. They will discuss the lack of design as a method of displacement and draw parallels with Hansaplatz in Hamburg's St. Georg district. Both squares are characterised by their diverse and contrasting locations. They are characterised by inhospitable architecture. Their contribution to the city walk aims not only to sensitise people to design mechanisms, but also to initiate processes of participatory design of conflict-laden public spaces.
Stop 3: Forgotten in the city
Location: in the urban area
The design of urban spaces has a direct influence on how people with dementia live and move around in them. However, there are few strategies and concepts applicable to urban planning when it comes to the question of how residential neighbourhoods, living environments and public spaces should be designed to support people with dementia in leading independent lives. As part of her dissertation, Dr.-Ing. Valerie Rehle searched for answers with people with dementia and students of design disciplines. During the city walk, the participants gain insights into the navigation strategies of people with dementia and discover dementia (un)friendly typologies and functions.
More about Dr.-Ing. Valerie Rehle
Stop 4: Dare to Design
Location: Museum Angewandte Kunst
Guided visit of the exhibition Dare to Design with Katrin Krupka.
around 13:30 – End of the event
Date: 30 November 2024
11:00–13:00 (Fully booked)
alternative date: 12:00–14:00 (Fully booked)
Meeting point: Konstablerwache
The presentations will be held in German.
Registration
Please register for the city walk by 22 November 2024. Participation is free of charge, but the number of participants is limited.
Alternatively, you can also register by e-mail to hello@wdc2026.org.
