How the barber came to the museum: Last Wednesday, January 19, 2022, more than 70 museums, concert halls and theaters in the Netherlands protested against the ongoing closure of cultural institutions with unusual actions. In this way, the institutions drew attention to the unequal treatment of the cultural sector during the corona pandemic, as stores, hairdressers and gyms remained open. This is how […]

How the barber came to the museum: Last Wednesday, January 19, 2022, more than 70 museums, concert halls and theaters in the Netherlands protested against the ongoing closure of cultural institutions with unusual actions. In this way, the institutions drew attention to the unequal treatment of the cultural sector during the corona pandemic, as stores, hairdressers and gyms remained open.Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, for example, was transformed into a beauty salon for a day: hashtag #BeautySalonVanGoghMuseum

In particular, the strict ban on cultural events since December 19, 2021 has met with resistance in the Netherlands. To express their protest, numerous museums therefore briefly opened for special events last Wednesday, January 19, 2022. In Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, for example, nail artists were able to show off their skills, while other museums offered yoga classes, haircuts and manicures. Concert organizers also joined the unusual protest. Without further ado, the venerable Concertgebouw was transformed into a “Kapsalon Concertgebouw”, where you could also have your hair cut during a rehearsal of the symphony orchestra led by conductor Susanna Malkki! An unusual performance that met with great approval from the audience. Charles Ives’ Symphony Number 2 was played. “We don’t understand it and there is no justification for it, because in the last two years we have shown that it is very, very safe to go to a concert or a museum,” emphasized Simon Reinink, the director of the Concertgebouw.

Across the street at the Van Gogh Museum, visitors were offered manicures, beard care and a professional haircut at the same time under the hashtag #BeautySalonVanGoghMuseum , while viewing paintings by Vincent van Gogh. “We want to emphasize that it is safe to visit the museum,” commented Emilie Gordenker, the museum’s director since February 2020. “This is definitely something completely new at the Van Gogh Museum”. The museum director also adds: “More and more people are visiting museums in search of spiritual depth and the meaning of life, among other things. We also need a ‘mental’ gym!”. The area of ‘mental health’ is just as relevant for our museum, especially because of Van Gogh’s own mental state.”

Manicure, beard care and a professional haircut

Many institutions in the capital took part in the protests in this way. They all found it unfair that cultural institutions had to close during the lockdown, while stores, hairdressers and gyms remained open. On January 16, 2022, the one-month lockdown was eased in the Netherlands, allowing hairdressers, gyms and stores to reopen. Cultural institutions, on the other hand, were to remain closed.

Creative resistance on the part of cultural institutions

Gunay Uslu from the Dutch Ministry of Culture showed understanding for the protests, but urged caution. She wrote on Twitter: “There are creative protests on the part of cultural institutions. I understand this cry for help and that artists also want to show all the beautiful things they have to offer us, but the easing of the lockdown must take place step by step. Culture is right at the top of the agenda for us.” The government therefore held out the prospect of any easing of the strict coronavirus measures for January 25, 2022 at the earliest.

Reading tip: As of this week, solo self-employed cultural workers in Germany, including freelance restorers, can apply for Restart Aid 2022. They receive support that is not linked to operating expenses. Applications for Neustarthilfe 2022 in the funding period from January to March are now open. Read more here.

This year, for the ninth time, the German Sustainability Award honors exceptional achievements in architecture. Everything you need to know about the award and how to apply.

This year marks the ninth time that the German Sustainability Award has honored exceptional achievements in architecture. Last year, one of the winners was the SKAIO building created as part of the BUGA Heilbronn. Everything about the German Sustainability Award for Architecture 2022 and the application deadline of June 15.

Since 2012, the German Sustainability Award for Architecture has been presented by the German Sustainability Award Foundation in cooperation with the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). As the most prestigious German architecture prize, it honors projects that simultaneously solve their building task in an innovative and creatively sophisticated way while meeting exceptional sustainability standards in the areas of economy, ecology and society.

Clients, architects or users of buildings in Germany that have already been completed and put into operation at the time of application may take part. The properties must not be older than five years and must be used by people, i.e. they must be open to the public or be work or residential properties.

Your application can be submitted online here for a fee of 290 euros plus VAT per construction project and should include the following:

Around the end of July 2021, participants will be informed whether or not they have received a nomination. After the meeting of the expert jury in July, the finalists will be announced and on December 3, 2021, the award ceremony will take place for the winners, who are unknown until then. Due to the pandemic circumstances, the awards are expected to take place digitally in 2021.

The winning projects will receive the DGNB trophy. They can also adorn themselves with the seal of the German Sustainability Award for Architecture and communicate their success both externally and internally.

Topic: sustainable building

The DGNB, the organizer of the Sustainability Award, was founded in 2007 in awareness of finite resources and advancing climate change and now has over 1,300 member organizations internationally. The DGNB describes the idea of sustainable construction as the conscious use of existing resources, minimizing energy consumption and protecting the environment. The three core pillars of sustainability are aspects of the economy of the building, its ecology and the social coexistence of its users. In addition to these core issues, the three sub-themes of technology, processes and location also play a role for the DGNB in the planning and construction of buildings with future-oriented sustainability.

According to the DGNB, buildings should be appealing and sustainable. Starting with an appealing design, factors such as the right temperature in the building, ensuring indoor air quality, optimized lighting and sound insulation through to the accessibility of a building are important so that as many different people as possible can participate in it.

Examples of award-winning projects from previous years

SKAIO Heilbronn

Last year, the “SKAIO” in Heilbronn won the German Sustainability Award for Architecture. The SKAIO was planned by Kaden + Lager, completed in 2019 for the BUGA and is the first – and at 34 meters, the tallest – high-rise building in timber construction in Germany. Commercial and ancillary rooms on the first floor and 60 rental apartments with one to two rooms and a living space of 40 to 70 square meters are spread over ten floors. The building is a timber-steel-concrete hybrid. The reinforced concrete core was fitted with 24-centimeter-thick plywood ceilings. They are supported by steel girders on the sides of the façade clad with aluminum panels. The building achieves social sustainability through a high proportion of publicly subsidized social housing.

Alnatura Campus

The German Sustainability Award for Architecture 2020 (awarded in 2019) went to the “Alnatura Campus” in Darmstadt. The haascookzemmrich STUDIO 2050 office planned the building and realized it with the help of energy engineers and a clay farmer. The “Alnatura Arbeitswelt” is Europe’s largest office building with a rammed earth façade and integrated geothermal wall heating. 13,500 square meters of floor space offer room for more than 500 employees in an open office landscape. They are supplied with daylight on all floors as well as heat from geothermal energy and electricity from photovoltaics. In addition to the company headquarters, the five-hectare Alnatura Campus is also home to a vegetarian organic restaurant. There is also a Waldorf kindergarten and a large number of school and adventure gardens.

An overview of all projects that have won the German Sustainability Award for Architecture to date can be found here.

All further information, contact details and the application portal for the German Sustainability Award for Architecture 2022 can be found here.