The evening began with a keynote lecture by Thomas Höxtermann (Nattler Architekten) on projects to revitalize and convert retail architecture.

This was followed by a lively discussion involving Thomas Höxtermann and Lars Heese, managing director of Redevco DACH (Germany, Switzerland, Austria), who reported from an entrepreneurial point of view. Nina Hangebruch, who works in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the Technical University of Dortmund and is currently conducting research on the topic “Existing buildings as a resource: climate and resource-efficient conversion of large retail properties from the 1950s to 1970s”, also took part. The discussion was moderated by Stephan Zech, architect and 1st chairman of the Verein für Baukultur Osnabrück. The visitors participated enthusiastically in the discussion.

The desire for one's own four walls as a basic human need plays a special role. Due to the existing housing shortage and against the backdrop of the climate protection debate, the justification of the single-family house, especially in an urban context, is repeatedly discussed.

This topic was the subject of the panel discussion, which began with a keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Timm from the Institute for Cultural Anthropology at the University of Münster. Timm focused both on the historical development and on the need for single-family homes.

Prof. Jan Kampshoff, visiting professor of design and building construction at the TU Berlin and managing director of modulorbeat in Münster, was also a participant in the discussion.

The panel was completed by Dr. Inken Tintemann, who has researched housing options for families at RWTH Aachen and now works at the City of Düren in the Office for Urban Development. The discussion was moderated by Stephan Zech. Here, too, the topic met with great interest from the visitors.

On this evening, we showed the film “The Power of Utopia—Living with Le Corbusier in Chandigarh” (2023). The screening was followed by a discussion with the directors Karin Bucher and Thomas Karrer, moderated by Stephan Zech.

The documentary took the audience on a journey through the fascinating history of the planned city of Chandigarh, which was built shortly after the partition of India. As the new capital of Punjab, it was to embody the ideals of democracy, progress and faith in the future. Under the direction of the renowned architect Le Corbusier, the urban visions were transformed into reality. Chandigarh became a symbol of a modern, humane and just city, based on the needs of the people and enabling a harmonious coexistence between people and nature. Through interviews, archive footage and stunning images, the film has given visitors a deep insight into the creativity and utopian ideas behind the creation of this unique city.