European Network for Creative Roof Utilisations
Developing roof landscapes together
Square kilometres of public urban space lie fallow in Europe's densely populated regions: roofscapes are often not yet adequately present in the public consciousness as a resource for urban development planning. To change this, organisations in nine European cities have joined forces.
The city of Chemnitz is one of the founding members of the network, which is funded by the Creative Europe programme until 2024. Other partners are working in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Belfast, Faro, Gothenburg, Nicosia and Rotterdam on the creative development of rooftops.
The cities want to work together to open up European roofscapes for potential uses. As the European Creative Roof Network (ECRN), they show how the social, economic and ecological challenges facing cities in Europe can be overcome with creative approaches involving roof surfaces.
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Works of art on the rooftops of Europe
Roof art on the Chemnitz City Hall completed
The artwork by Belgian artist Larsen Bervoets, which he created together with students from the Chemnitz school model on three roofs of the Stadthalle, has been completed. Over a period of two weeks, they painted a total area of 1000 square metres, which is part of a Europe-wide initiative to develop sustainable and innovative roof projects under the title "Roofscape Landmark Project".
As part of "makers united", the European festival for creativity, technology and innovation, the artwork could be viewed from above during free guided tours.
The project, entitled "Roofscape Landmark Project", is being realised in several European cities by Larsen Bervoets together with the local population and was launched in Gothenburg at the end of April. It is intended to creatively draw attention to the potential of roof surfaces. Lars Bervoets will be travelling to a total of six cities by the autumn. The colours and shapes are repeated in the individual cities and symbolise the diversity of Europe.
The "Roofscape Landmark Project" is a joint endeavour of the European Creative Rooftop Network (ECRN), an initiative of various stakeholders from nine European cities with the aim of developing sustainable and innovative rooftop projects. Chemnitz has been part of the ECRN since 2021 and is a founding member. Under the title "Colourful Roofs Chemnitz", the aim is to record local roof areas and network local stakeholders and experts.
Rotterdamse DakenDagen meets "Colourful Roofs" in Chemnitz
Exchange of experience and knowledge transfer on the potential of roof surfaces
On 2 March, the team from the city's "Colourful Roofs Chemnitz" project hosted its ECRN project partners from Rotterdam.
As part of the exchange of experiences on the potential of roof surfaces, Nikki Kamps and Léon van Geest from the Rotterdamse DakenDagen (Rotterdam Roof Days) brought along numerous ideas and tried-and-tested examples of the potential uses of roof surfaces, as well as the newly won Rotterdam Marketing Award.
Their "Rooftop Rollercoaster", for example, showcased the diverse and colourful activities and events that have been taking place on Rotterdam's rooftops for more than ten years. Lively discussions, numerous questions and the invitation to visit this year's Rotterdam Roof Days (2-5 June 2023) encouraged all participants to continue the exchange.
The Rotterdam team, together with the project partners from all other ECRN partner cities, will be visiting Chemnitz again in May for a transnational working meeting.
First network meeting at lofty heights
Exchange on the potential and possibilities of roof utilisation
On 30 September 2022, the first network meeting of the city's "Colourful Roofs" project took place at lofty heights.Rooftop enthusiasts, stakeholders and city representatives came together for the first time on the roof of Salute e.V. near the Brühl to discuss the potential and possibilities of future rooftop uses in Chemnitz.
In addition to the presentation of the European Creative Rooftop Network (ECRN), the participants were given an insight into the Artist in Residence Programme, which enables artist residencies within the partner cities as part of ECRN.
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Art on the roof
Artist residencies for KOSMOS 2022
Last Friday's KOSMOS festival was an opportunity to literally climb onto the roof of Chemnitz thanks to the European Creative Rooftop Network, in which the city participates. At the Haus der Verbände am Schillerpark, visitors were able to meet two international artists who were guests for a fortnight and shared their impressions with the visitors.
Emanuele Dainotti, an Italian living in Antwerp, deals with virtual worlds. British artist Rachel Ramirez, who has lived in Faro, Portugal, for 17 years, rediscovered the rich textile history of Chemnitz during her stay.
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A roof garden as a lung and oasis
On the roof of Hall G in the heart of the Wirkbau site in Altchemnitz, an intensively greened roof garden with ten large trees, lush perennials and flowering meadows is being created over an area of approx. 1,500 m².
Additional greenery is planned in the form of extensive biodiversity greening on the roof of another building C with approx. 2,700 m² as well as ground-based façade greening with climbing aids. To realise the project between Annaberger Strasse and Lothringer Strasse, the owners MIB Wirkbau Chemnitz GmbH & Co. KG have teamed up with landscape architect Uta Gehrhardt from GEHRHARDT LANDSCHAFT and the architectural firm MEYER-GROHBRÜGGE.
This measure is being co-financed as part of the "Sustainably out of the crisis" funding initiative with taxpayers' money on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon state parliament. The total investment is over 1 million euros.
Background: Chemnitz and the European network
The roofscape of Chemnitz was created during various phases of intensive industrial-cultural development of the urban space and also features a number of pioneering and experimental roof constructions. In their forms and specific requirements, these roof surfaces offer a wide range of possibilities for creative and sustainable conversions and new uses. It is therefore obvious that this urban space reserve, which is currently still (too) underdeveloped, should be made accessible as a field of experimentation for innovations in the area of roof development. Thanks to the intensive working relationships and the "ideas exchange" within the ECRN umbrella network, Chemnitz can share findings on the special features of its roof landscape with partner organisations across Europe and gain insight into solutions that have already been put into practice.
On 1 December 2021, the partner organisations met in Antwerp on the publicly accessible roof of the MAS - Museum am Strom. The nine cities in the network deliberately represent different urban cultures and different planning approaches under different climatic conditions. Nevertheless, they are united by the conviction that the similarities of the European roofscape form the basis of a common cultural heritage and that forward-looking solutions to urban planning challenges can be found through the exchange of experience and transfer of knowledge.
Contact person:in
City of Chemnitz:
Sabine Fekete
0371 488 4123
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European Creative Rooftop Network:
Nikki Kamps
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