2010 Berkeley Travel Fellowship

Hungarian State Opera House, located in Budapest (1884)

Beyond grateful and completely inspired, I have returned from my Berkeley Travel Fellowship in Austria and Hungary. I spent three weeks learning about the preservation and reuse of industrial sites for art spaces. Straddling the border of Eastern Europe, I visited buildings steeped in history from a stunning slaughterhouse to an inspiring ceramics factory turned public space. These projects and people reflect the spirit of the Berkeley Prize mandate to promote the social art of architecture.

My journey included one week in Austria where I explored a wide range of projects in Vienna and Linz. The second and third weeks were based in Pécs (pronounced “Paych”) in Southern Hungary. There I volunteered for the European Capital of Culture office and focused on the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter.

I am very interested in the architecture of public spaces, in particular art spaces where the community meets to perform, make, exchange, exhibit and participate in creative endeavours. My interest in heritage preservation and adaptive reuse art spaces pre-dates my time in architecture school to my days working at Calgary Arts Development in Alberta, Canada. This Travel Fellowship was a wonderful opportunity to explore and expand my knowledge in this area and will no doubt impact my architecture education and career down the road.

General observations from my trip were:

Preservation and reuse art spaces may:

• improve derelict, unsafe or underused spaces,

• contribute to the identity of a community by instilling pride and ownership,
• stimulate economies and influence tourism
• allow for interesting contemporary architecture that is refreshing and relevant within the context of heritage sites

General issues for reuse of industrial sites:

• Program is of utmost importance. What is the appropriate re-use of a former industrial space?
• Can a community really absorb a large and costly venue? Who will operate it?
• How is the high cost of preservation mitigated to justify the project?
• The best examples are community driven with a thoughtful, engaging public process. How is this best achieved? 

Museum Quarter, Vienna