Limestone is used almost exclusively as a decorative material in Palestine – which means that know-how in the construction industry is being lost. This is why the AAU Anastas architecture firm is devoting itself to the use of limestone as a structural material: the recently constructed “Stonematters” pavilion in Jericho is a self-supporting vault. The project name is intended to imply that it is an important […]

Limestone is used almost exclusively as a decorative material in Palestine – which means that know-how in the construction industry is being lost. This is why the AAU Anastas architecture firm is focusing on the use of limestone as a structural material: the recently constructed “Stonematters” pavilion in Jericho is a self-supporting vault.

The project name is intended to imply that this is an important topic – but also to show how innovative techniques can be applied to the traditional material.

The architects from Palestine draw on the ancient principle of stereotomy: stone is used as the load-bearing building material, with the elements supporting each other. The concept goes back to the origins of construction.

The Stonematters vault has a span of seven meters and covers an area of 60 square meters. The structural elements are only twelve centimeters thick. In total, the vault consists of 300 individual parts.

Scales” research institute

AAU Anastas is conducting research into three-dimensional and parametric vaults with its “Scales” research institute together with the GSA Lab of ENSA Paris-Malaquais. The findings of the study will be used for the construction of a residential complex: “El-atlal” will be built as accommodation for artists and writers in Jericho. Stonematters is therefore a first test – and will serve as one of the roofs of the complex.

The research work also aims to ensure that limestone is used again in contemporary architecture in Palestine. The study deals with computer simulations and fabrication techniques. The aim is to use contemporary construction techniques to reflect a local and global architectural language.

Computer simulations were used to determine the loads in the construction. This made it possible to determine how best to transfer them and calculate the optimal shape of the STEIN.

The entire project was developed with the expertise of people from the Jericho region. Various companies were commissioned and knowledge was gathered. The building blocks were sawn out of the raw blocks by one company – and transported to another for the carving work.

Styrofoam elements were attached to a scaffold for assembly. They form the underside of the vault. During the step-by-step dismantling of the scaffolding, attention was paid to movements or subsidence in the vault.

Aims of the project

After completion, many residents of Jericho and other parts of Palestine came to see the pavilion. The architects wanted to create a link between the country’s historical sites and urban morphologies – and also between the latest manufacturing processes and local factories. The basic idea behind the project is simple: limestone is a material that is available in large quantities in Palestine.

The Kulturzukunft Bayern initiative invited the cultural policy spokespersons of the Bavarian state parliamentary groups to a discussion in mid-July 2023. Since November 2022, the new association of now 36 funding and friends groups of Bavarian cultural institutions has been drawing the attention of politicians, the media and the general public to the shortcomings in cultural policy operations – and at the same time calling for long-term solutions from politicians

On Sunday, July 16, 2023, the Initiative Kulturzukunft Bayern invited the cultural policy spokespersons of the Bavarian state parliamentary groups to a discussion in the Audimax of the Technical University of Munich. Since November 2022, the new association of now 36 support and friends groups of Bavarian cultural institutions has been drawing the attention of politicians, the media and the general public to the shortcomings in cultural policy operations and at the same time demanding long-term solutions from politicians. The parties were therefore given the opportunity to discuss their respective positions on Bavarian cultural infrastructure in a lively debate on Sunday. Sanne Kurz (Bündnis 90/ Die Grünen), Volkmar Halbleib (SPD), Wolfgang Heubisch (FDP), Thomas Kreuzer (CSU) and Florian Streibl (Freie Wähler) accepted the invitation. The AfD abstained from the event.

As the highlight of the initiative’s high-profile series of events, at which Oliver Bäte, CEO of Allianz SE, spoke of the fact that “(…) you can ‘t be a top location for business if you’re not a top location for culture“, the panel discussion once again showed that the Free State of Bavaria is facing a huge mountain of tasks: In Munich alone, seven institutions such as the Residenztheater, the Gasteig and the Neue Pinakothek need to be renovated – not to mention the large number of other cultural venues throughout Bavaria.

At the initiative’s March event, Regula Lüscher, former Senate Building Director of Berlin, presented the idea of an “Opera Plus” as a solution. She called for the involvement of broader sections of society and to offer them an everyday venue that goes far beyond the cultural sector. There is also a need for well-considered interim buildings that, above all, promote cooperation between the individual theaters. However, this will not be possible without a coherent cultural strategy.

Easier said than done, especially as a renovation plan for the individual cultural institutions is far from enough: cultural education, digitalization, international competitiveness, visibility of the subculture and independent scene as well as consistent and transparent cultural funding are just a few of the many aspects that have been discussed and must be incorporated into a sustainable strategy development.

But it is not impossible! Representatives from Styria proved this to the initiative’s audience in June: Patrick Schnabl, Head of the Cultural Department of the Styrian Provincial Government, and Werner Schrempf, Director of the international cultural festival La Strada Graz, developed a comprehensive cultural strategy for Styria over the course of three years together with representatives from the fields of art and culture, education, society, regional development, tourism and social affairs. Communication at eye level and the change from cultural promotion to a culture of promotion were close to their hearts.

Hesse has also achieved something similar since 2019: at the same event, Julian Urban, one of the leading participants, reported on how they developed a cultural development master plan with the help of specialist workshops, regional conferences and online participation. This resulted in a cabinet decision and a government declaration in the state parliament and will now shape Hesse’s cultural policy for the next ten years.

So what have politicians taken away from the impetus provided by the initiative’s previous events? Within a very short space of time, the Kulturzukunft initiative has succeeded in drawing political attention to culture in Bavaria. However, the cultural cascade presented by Markus Blume, the Bavarian Minister of Culture, is highly controversial and a look at the party manifestos for the upcoming state elections in the fall is sobering. The topic is sometimes more, sometimes less elaborated.

Find out more in issue 6 of RESTAURO.