NEWSLETTER 92, 07/19/2007

Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA)
Fürst-Pückler-Land

1. Contest announced: Alterations at Pückler grammar school in Cottbus
2. Newly defined: Facelift for Neisse Island in Guben-Gubin
3. Project completed: Photographic exhibition and final reports on IdeQua
4. Clean-up continued: Bio-towers in Lauchhammer accessible shortly
5. "Louise" celebrates: Concert and film night at Louise briquetting plant
6. Lakeland beckons: Regattas, beach parties and much more
7. Excursion fully-booked: Floating architecture in Scandinavia

Contest announced

Alterations at Pückler grammar school in Cottbus

Progress continues to be made on the IBA housing project "Großsiedlung Sachsendorf-Madlow": the Pückler-Gymnasium grammar school is to be extensively modernised and the surrounding area given a facelift. The district of Spree-Neisse (responsible for the school) and the IBA are jointly issuing a limited invitation for tenders from architects and landscape architects. Since the merger of three grammar schools in the Spree-Neisse district at the start of 2007, the Pückler-Gymnasium school is now Brandenburg's biggest grammar school, with around 1,600 students. The new site on the southern outskirts of the town is situated in the middle of a model urban renewal zone.

Detailed information on the tender (definition of project, conditions of entry, etc.) will be published on 23 July - and, of course, on the IBA website under "About IBA" (in german only!).

Sachsendorf-Madlow urban trail

Newly defined

Facelift for Neisse Island in Guben-Gubin

There are currently many changes afoot on both the Polish and German sides of Guben/Gubin on the Neisse: the so-called "Neisse terraces" are emerging on the western banks of the Neisse on the historic site of the old wool factory "Gubener Wolle" (the photograph shows how it looked before partial demolition). The town opens onto the river here, looking out to its neighbour to the east. On the Polish side the ruins of the parish church, which was destroyed during the war, are currently being made safe. Having been stabilised, the steeple was ready to be recrowned with its copper tip in June. Both sides are now tackling the next project: the Neisse island situated in the middle of the river. The former theatre island is due to be re-landscaped in 2008. Plans include paved footpaths, restoration of visual links, and a new footbridge from the German Neisse terraces to the Polish Neisse Island.

Coming up for starters on 25 July: as a result of a joint initiative by Gubin town council and the IBA, there will be an opening ceremony on the site of the former theatre on Neisse Island at 18.00 hrs, with speeches, jazz music and an open-air cinema. This will be followed throughout the summer by a variety of cultural events. Major contributors include the Kulturhaus Gubin arts and leisure centre, "Nysa", the German-Polish women's association, and the Landwirtschaftsschule Gubin agricultural college. The IBA will be setting up a kiosk as a point of contact during the cultural events.

Project completed

Photographic exhibition and final reports on IdeQua

The IBA EU-sponsored "IdeQua" project finishes in 2007. The project's findings are contained in two final reports. The first report, entitled "Explore identity - experience quality", has now been published and is a summing-up of the complete project and the 17 project partners from Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. The second report on specific projects is due out at the end of August.

An idea of the IdeQua project can be gained from the "brennweite2" touring exhibition, which can be seen from 27 July to 11 September in the "Alte Försterei" in Zinna Abbey (near Jüterborg) - one of the 17 partners. The "Alte Försterei", part of the Romantik chain of hotels, introduced a quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001 as part of the IdeQua project. Anyone interested in seeing the exhibition is invited to the opening at 14.00 hrs on 27 July. The pictures on display are the result of an international photography workshop organised by the IBA as part of its Year of Europe 2006. Prior to this there have been previews of the exhibition at the offices of leading partner ILB (InvestitionsBank des Landes Brandenburg) in Potsdam, on the IBA Terraces in Großräschen and in Keszthely (Hungary).

Entitled “brennweite 2”, the exhibition catalogue can be sourced directly from the IBA or at any bookshop (ISBN 3-980 9844-6-X) for a nominal charge of € 5.

IdeQua
Hotel "Alte Försterei"

Clean-up continued

Further funding for bio-towers

Clean-up operations have been underway at the bio-towers in Lauchhammer for about a year. Work on safeguards has now been completed and one of the six groups of so-called trickling filters will even be accessible on the inside in a few weeks. Having scaled one of the towers, visitors will be rewarded with a panoramic view of the cleared site of the former Lauchhammer coking plant. The opening was originally scheduled for the end of August. In the meantime, however, an application for funding has been approved for the further restructuring plans and the construction of two viewing turrets, therefore it has been decided to press on with the next stage of the work and to defer the official opening of the towers until the following year.

There will, however, be a local review at the bio-towers on 19 September as part of the "Kulturland Brandenburg" project. This would be an opportunity for anyone interested to join a tour of the site.

Kulturland Brandenburg

"Louise" celebrates

Concert and film night at Louise briquetting plant

The Louise briquetting plant near Domsdorf has had a makeover for its 125th anniversary: the historic compactor has been lovingly renovated - and is now steaming and hissing as it did in our great-grandfathers' times. The "ENERGY Route through Lusatia's Industrial Heritage" has brought more publicity for the factory, its idyllic location in the forest near Bad Liebenwerda being one of ten stop-offs on the new route. A good opportunity to pay Louise a visit would be 18 August when the 5th film night will be held in the courtyard - or inside the power plant in the event of inclement weather - under the IBA Year of Energy motto "Danger! High voltage!". The event will get underway at 20 hrs. with a dynamic percussion concert starring Sascha Mock and the High Potentials, when drainpipes, scrap parts and the old "furnace paddle" from the briquetting plant will be resurrected as musical instruments. Alfred Hitchcock's spy thriller "The Foreign Correspondent" will be showing at 21 hrs.

Louise Briquetting Plant

Lakeland beckons

Regattas, beach parties and much more

The Lusatian Lakeland continues to grow in prominence and popularity with tourists and locals alike. This is no doubt due to the increasing number of attractions and events as well as the continually improving liaison among those involved at local level and the ever better coordination of marketing activities. This summer will again see several events taking place throughout the Lakeland. Highlights include the recreational sports competition "Lusatian Lakeland 100" (27 - 29 July) for skaters, cyclists and runners around Geierswalder Lake, the Jet Boat Festival (10 - 12 August), also at Geierswalder Lake, the "Lusatia Dragon Boat Regatta" (18 August) at Partwitzer Lake, and the "transNATURALE" festival (31 August to 2 September) at Bärwalder Lake.

Events in the Lakeland

Excursion fully-booked

"Floating architecture" in Scandinavia

All the places are already taken on this year's IBA themed excursion to Scandinavia on floating architecture, entitled "Built by the water". It runs from 20 to 23 September via Berlin and Hamburg with stops at various places including Copenhagen and Malmö. In addition to Berlin's floating swimming pool, the "Badeschiff", and floating houses, the tour will take in purpose-built residential and leisure projects in harbour areas, such as the HafenCity harbour development in Hamburg and waterside city neighbourhoods, holiday complexes and landmarks. Local experts will be expounding their theories on floating architecture and building "by the water", providing food for thought in view of the emerging Lusatian Lakeland. The IBA has planned the excursion as a springboard to its "New Water" theme for 2008. Anyone interested in joining the excursion can have their name put down on the waiting list. Information from Ms Urbanek: urbanek@iba-see.de.