Eat.
Architect Thomas Sevcik is a guest in the video talk with editor-in-chief Andreas Tyrock on February 8th. WAZ readers can ask questions in advance.
The Ruhr area must abolish itself in order to finally be successful. Architect and urban planner Thomas Sevcik is currently making a name for himself with this provocative thesis. The co-founder of the Zurich think tank Arthesia, which advises companies, organizations, cities and regions on avant-garde projects, is the next guest in the video talk “Ruhr area, we have to talk!”: Sevcik will be speaking to WAZ editor-in-chief Andreas Tyrock next Wednesday.
metropolises and megacities
Thomas Sevcik is familiar with metropolises and megacities. He studied architecture at the TU Berlin and works at the Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London. Sevcik develops ideas for large real estate projects, urban districts and special city quarters. Among other things, he is considered one of the pioneers of the Autostadt in Wolfsburg and the innovation center “LabCampus” at Munich Airport. He has also advised the city of Duisburg. Thomas Sevcik advises taking a fresh look at cities and paying more attention to the outskirts, which he calls “intermediate cities”, in addition to the cores of the metropolises.
“The Ruhr area is nothing special”
Sevcik’s view of the Ruhr area sounds surprising and, for many ears in the area, certainly takes some getting used to. Leaving aside the glorification and exaggeration of the region, the Ruhr area is strictly speaking a metropolitan area like any other, Sevcik recently wrote in “Zeit”: The cradle of industrialization? Saxony is too. Sevcik: “The Ruhr area is nothing special.” What he demands instead: the individual cities in the Ruhr area must find their own identity. Essen, Dortmund or Bochum should work out their strengths and special features – and without the Ruhr myth. He considers it “selected”. At least for the larger cities in the Ruhr area, this increases the chance of becoming successful secondary cities – sufficiently large, very well located cities with great, exciting urbanity at comparatively low prices.
But how can these theses be reconciled with a sense of camaraderie and nostalgia for the Ruhr area? What does that mean for Ruhr projects such as the Capital of Culture and the University Alliance? And aren’t the real strengths of the district in its cohesion and sheer size? Lots of material and many questions for an exciting discussion.
The WAZ video talk with Thomas Sevcik is on Wednesday, February 8, from 5 p.m. on waz.de to see. WAZ readers can also send questions to the scientist in advance – by email: [email protected] (subject “Question”).
More articles from this category can be found here: Rhine and Ruhr
