The latest Instagram art challenge: your own four walls become creative studios and art becomes successful entertainment. The Baumeister calls on people to join in and incorporate architecture.

Quarantine is somehow inviting us to take part in Instagram challenges: the push-up challenge, our own home office challenge (take part!) and the Instagram art challenge. Your own four walls become creative studios and art becomes successful entertainment. Even institutions such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles are taking up the challenge. The Baumeister is joining in – but with a twist.

Exhibitions are digital, cultural offerings can be enjoyed from home and now everyone is a great artist – or rather: a great work of art. On March 14, the Instagram account tussenkunstenquarantaine was launched and with it a challenge: to recreate your favorite work of art using three things lying around at home.

With over 100,000 subscribers and around 400 posts, the account hits the heart of the living rooms of those staying at home. Institutions such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles show that the challenge also hits the heart of museums. In addition to their updated digital offerings, they have also called for a challenge on social media. The results are not only entertaining, but also motivating. Below you will find some of our favorites.

So does the Baumeister encourage this challenge? Why not! However, we are adding another criterion to the challenge: architecture. Show your favorite art that has to do with architecture or is even architecture itself. While you’re at it, never forget to link Baumeister on Instagram @baumeister_architekturmagazin and Facebook @baumeister.architekturzeitschrift. Our architectural inspirations for the challenge are Caspar David Friedrich’s Woman at the Window (1818-1822) or almost any painting by Jan Vermeer near a window, Gerhard Richter’s Cityscapes (1968), Hubert Kiecol’s Line (1981), Thomas Demand’s Daily #30 (2017) and the Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1563) or simply any architecturally representable tower such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris (1887-1889).

For those who prefer to consume rather than produce: The Getty Museum’s current digital offering can be found here and you can marvel at the Rijksmuseum’s 164,511 works digitally here.

Flood protection is one of the key challenges in times of climate change. With increasing heavy rainfall events and rising water levels, the pressure to develop effective and sustainable solutions is growing. Traditional technical measures such as dams, dykes and rainwater retention basins often offer quick and targeted protection options. At the same time, the importance of nature-based approaches such as floodplain restoration and green space management is growing, as they offer ecological, social and long-term benefits. The combination of these approaches in an integrated flood protection system shows the potential not only to improve protection against flooding, but also to sustainably promote the environment and quality of life.

Technical measures form the backbone of many flood protection strategies. They are precisely controllable, effective and often indispensable in heavily populated or economically important areas. The main components include

1. Dams and dykes

These structures are designed to keep rivers in their courses and protect settlements from flooding. They are particularly useful in regions where large volumes of water need to be drained away quickly.

2. Rainwater retention basins

They store excess water during heavy rainfall and release it in a controlled manner to reduce the load on rivers and canals. This prevents flooding and regulates runoff.

3. Drainage and pump systems

Sewers and pumps are used primarily in urban areas to drain water quickly and prevent backwater.

Technical solutions are highly effective, but reach their limits when more extreme weather events occur or their effects are exacerbated by environmental changes.

Nature-based solutions are inspired by the dynamics of natural ecosystems and are aimed at retaining water in the landscape and dissipating its energy. Important approaches are

1. Floodplain restoration

Renaturalized floodplains provide floodplains where water can be dispersed in a controlled manner. This reduces the pressure on downstream areas and at the same time promotes biodiversity, as floodplains serve as habitats for numerous plant and animal species.

2. Green space management and green roofs

Green spaces and green roofs absorb rainwater and reduce rapid runoff into the sewage system. They also have a cooling effect on the urban climate and improve air quality.

3. Ecological retention systems

These are structures such as swale-trench systems or planted rainwater retention basins that allow rainwater to seep away and filter it at the same time. They promote groundwater recharge and reduce the risk of flooding.

The combination of technical and nature-based approaches offers a forward-looking strategy that links both worlds. This synergy can be seen in various dimensions:

1. Increased protective effect

Technical facilities such as dams can be relieved by upstream renaturalized floodplains. These buffer floods before they reach critical infrastructure. Rainwater retention basins can be combined with ecological retention areas to both store water and allow it to seep away.

2. Long-term sustainability

Nature-based measures increase resilience to extreme events as they use natural processes to regulate water flows. At the same time, they extend the service life of technical structures as they are subject to less stress.

3. Added value for the environment

While technical approaches are primarily aimed at flood protection, nature-based solutions offer additional ecological benefits. Renaturalized floodplains and greened areas increase biodiversity, improve the microclimate and provide recreational areas for the population.

4. Socio-economic benefits

Green spaces increase the quality of life in urban areas and can reduce air conditioning costs thanks to their cooling effects. At the same time, they create new habitats and strengthen nature conservation.

Some cities and regions have already successfully implemented integrated flood protection systems:

– Hamburg, Germany

HafenCity uses a combination of increased technical protection measures and the design of floodplains. At the same time, green spaces are promoted to improve the urban climate.

– Room for the River, Netherlands

This programme combines the relocation of dykes with the creation of floodplains and floodplain renaturation. The approach protects against flooding and strengthens ecological diversity.

– Singapore’s Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park

Here, a concrete channel was transformed into a natural river course that also functions as a rainwater retention basin. The measure reduces flooding and provides a valuable recreational area.

The synergy between technical and nature-based approaches to flood protection shows how future-proof solutions can be created by combining efficiency and sustainability. The integration of both systems not only enables an effective reduction of flood risk, but also promotes biodiversity, the microclimate and people’s quality of life. In times of climate change, this holistic approach offers a robust response to the increasing challenges.

More on the topic and our STOP THE FLOOD campaign here.