UniCities is continuing to introduce leading innovative projects that are changing our cities for the better today. Meet the “New European Bauhaus”!

“The New European Bauhaus” is a visionary initiative of the European Union based on the intersection of culture, design, and sustainable development. It embodies innovative changes in approaches to planning and building our cities, as well as promotes new behavioral patterns of citizens, for the harmonious synergy of urban development and environmental protection.

“The New European Bauhaus” was launched by the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Maria Gabriel, in 2021. The idea for the initiative was inspired by the Bauhaus school of architecture, which existed in Germany in 1919-1934 and laid the foundations for European functionalism and a conceptual approach to urban architecture. The school was founded by architect Walter Gropius and renowned artist László Moholy-Nagy. The main concept of the Bauhaus was to combine art, design, and craft into a single whole. The school taught innovative methods and approaches to architecture and design, using modern materials and technologies to create functional, simple, and aesthetically refined objects.

But what exactly is being implemented under this initiative?

New European Bauhaus focuses on several areas of activity. These include creating a laboratory to develop approaches to urban transformation and relevant EU policies; funding initiatives in EU countries to construct social housing; holding competitions and festivals; and supporting research.

We would like to emphasise that the initiative is based on regulatory measures at the EU level and is open for accession. Thus, local authorities, architects, designers, universities, businesses, NGOs, and citizens can propose their projects and ideas that comply with the New European Bauhaus principles and receive funding and public support for their implementation. The initiative involves 36 countries and 76 projects have been implemented.

For example, a climate-friendly cultural pavilion was built in Graz, Austria. The proposal was submitted in 2021 in the category of Mobilising Culture, Art, and Communities. The pavilion is a 100-square-meter temporary forest, stage, and meeting space in the center of Graz. The pavilion aims to collectively develop climate culture and synergise political, economic, scientific, and cultural discussions. All events are open to the public at all times. The project’s funding is based on solidarity and inclusiveness.

Also in 2021, the Preserved and Transformed Cultural Heritage category featured a project to preserve a block of ten 19th-century buildings while creating a “moving” wild space that enhanced urban biodiversity and social interaction between neighbors and visitors. This idea was realised in the form of a large rooftop garden with a landscaping design featuring more than 50 species and 10,000 plants selected for their biophilic value.

Important attention is also paid to aid to Ukraine. After the full-scale war in Ukraine and its devastating consequences for infrastructure and citizens, there is a special need to ensure quality reconstruction. That is why the New European Bauhaus assists the authorities in planning activities and finances projects that meet the principles of the initiative. In cooperation with the local governments of Ukraine, several projects have been supported to build shelters, modular premises, permanent housing, and public buildings. All of this is part of the strategy for housing construction until 2050, which is being developed in Ukraine with the support of the New European Bauhaus.

It is important to note that the NEB’s work in Ukraine, in line with EU policy, is a synergy of sustainable development, social inclusiveness, and cultural challenges. The activities consist of three pilot activities, including urgent housing urgency, circular housing, and capacity building:

• Housing urgency. The focus is on developing a typology of possible solutions to meet the immediate housing needs of internally displaced persons in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in the EU;
• Circular housing includes the involvement of European experts and experience in the preparation of sustainable engineering and design for the reconstruction of Ukraine. This objective is achieved by collecting possible solutions for the reuse of destroyed buildings and infrastructure and by finding methods for reusing structures using Ukrainian resources;
• Capacity building consists of setting up an online training system for local communities in Ukraine. An essential place is given to equal partnerships and the development of joint projects. The development of the Ukrainian economy, priority options that can be implemented by Ukrainians, job creation, upskilling of the workforce, and adaptation of the industrial ecosystem of Ukraine are also crucial parts of it.

Pilot projects are already being implemented in Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Bucha, and Rivne.

The UniCities team is convinced that the “New European Bauhaus” inspires us to create a world where aesthetics and sustainability go hand in hand, and design becomes a force for transformation.