Retreat and dialogue: How to activate interstices in universities

In many cases, universities are non-spaces in a double sense: as spaces devoid of architectural qualities, and as places that only support academic routines, rather than genuine knowledge creation. Our model mutually enhances the factors “space” and “knowledge” by employing spatial strategies of “dialogue” and “retreat”. Seemingly useless interstices are of great value for inserting spatial implants and constructed interventions that can support sustainable knowledge creation. Two factual case studies are presented: a platform, which was set-up at the spatial interface between city and university in Leipzig; and garage laboratories, which – as secret incubators of sorts – have supported MIT’s technology research for decades.

13.01.2012 | Kathrin Franke, Bertram Haude (Leipzig) & Jörg Rainer Noennig (Dresden)