TOMORROW IS ALREADY BUILT Renegotiating the Future of Our Urban Space

After locally addressing the topic of transforming existing spatial resources by campaigning against the demolition of Munich’s Criminal Justice Center, a European follow-up is now underway in cooperation with the Allianz Foundation: Tomorrow Is Already Built: Renegotiating the Future of Our Urban Space. ARCH+ is making the case against vacancy and demolition in an event series consisting of workshops, a film screening, a conference, and a play together with the European Citizens' Initiative HouseEurope!, the Brussels museum for architecture CIVA, the Munich activist group JustizzentrumErhalten/ AbbrechenAbbrechen, and the Munich PATHOS theater. The “case” being made is not only about the Criminal Justice Center, but also argues that the speculative and climate-harmful treatment of our built environment is a public matter which must be negotiable. Wherever and whenever possible, existing spaces should be used, renovated, adapted, or extended.

To start the process, the gathering of evidence will consist of workshops on dealing with our building stock and a film screening of Power to Renovation by HouseEurope!. The gathering of evidence will expose arguments, narratives, and reservations, communicate them in an understandable way and discuss them with civil society in a professional but also illustrative manner.

In February 2025, the European Citizens’ Initiative HouseEurope! begins their voting period to propose legislation prioritizing renovation and adaptive reuse. To help make the case against demolition and vacancy, ARCH+ will stage a “witness hearing” in the form of a conference at CIVA on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. Practitioners and theorists from all over Europe will exchange insights into successful approaches, but also economic, legislative, and architectural hurdles to a spatial practice of repair and care. In addition to spatial experts, members of the European Parliament are invited to directly address legislators.

with: 

MEP Rasmus Andresen (Greens/EFA)

Laurens Bekemans (BC architects & studies & materials / RWTH Aachen)

Oana Bogdan (&bogdan / HouseEurope!)

Iva Čukić (Ministarstvo prostora)

An Fonteyne (noAarchitecten / ETH Zurich)

Josiane Schmidt (HouseEurope! / ETH Zurich)

Gabu Heindl (GABU Heindl Architektur / Uni Kassel)

Petra Hlaváčková (4AM Forum for Architecture and Media / Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien)

Graue Energie — Die Zukunft unserer Stadt verhandeln (Gray Energy—Negotiating the Future of Our City)
An interactive play by Annalena Maas

Who owns the city of tomorrow? During the immersive theater experience Gray Energy—Negotiating the Future of Our City, participants assume the roles of city council members in session. Without actively engaging in discussion themselves, they witness negotiations about the future of our cities. Representatives of housing cooperatives, urban planning, and the real estate sector present different scenarios for the future: Demolition or renovation? Vacancy or (re)appropriation? Displacement or Right to the City? Waste of resources or climate justice?

Contributions from civil society and other interest groups will bring political processes to life. In the end, the decision is yours: Which vision will you implement, and what strategic directions will you choose for the future? Participants will cast their votes by a show of hands, actively shaping the future of our urban space!

Director: Annalena Maas
Design: Janina Sieber
The play is part of Tomorrow Is Already Built: Renegotiating the Future of Our Urban Space