The architectural advisory board celebrates its anniversary. With an anniversary publication, the city's Planning and Building Department is going on a journey through time and invites you to take a look at the years from 1974 to 2024: With the anniversary brochure, the city of Erlangen wants to provide an insight into the work of the Baukunstbeirat and present building projects of various types and sizes in which the Baukunstbeirat has been involved over the past half century. Lord Mayor Florian Janik: "50 years seems like a short time compared to the over 1,000-year history of Erlangen. But when we realize that over 40% of all residential buildings in Erlangen alone were built after the founding of the Baukunstbeirat from 1974 onwards, the perspective changes. The Baukunstbeirat has played a major role in shaping Erlangen's cityscape over the course of time. I would like to thank all former and current advisory board members who, through their advice, expertise and empathy, have advanced many building projects in Erlangen in terms of architecture and urban development. I would also like to thank all those responsible for buildings who have presented their building projects to the Baukunstbeirat and were open to the committee's advice. Building culture can only be created through interaction. This also means that some consultations are demanding and intensive for everyone involved. With regard to the lifespan and durability of buildings and the level of construction costs, the consultation step is always worthwhile in retrospect."
While the head of the city looks back, building and planning officer Harald Lang looks to the future: "Awards, prizes, academic praise and specialist media support paint a positive picture of the architectural profession, the planning guild and its protagonists in the public eye - and that's how it should be in the future too, please. The challenges and risks of the profession are increasing immensely, and the legal and financial hurdles in projects sometimes seem insurmountable. This is accompanied by the debate about the value and social status of craftsmanship in general. In the manufacturing process of a building, the building trade is still of central importance - despite advancing mechanization and prefabrication. Building materials and materials are processed by craftsmen. Specialist planning provides the specifications, the craftsman is solution-oriented, technically up to date and always open to new design challenges."
Many building projects have benefited from the work and expertise of the independent Baukunstbeirat, from the design to the built realization. With a view to a possible brochure to mark the 100th anniversary of the Baukunstbeirat, the Planning and Building Department says that social change is already needed today from all the protagonists involved in terms of value, durability, use of resources and quality assurance in schools, training and practice with attractive professional opportunities for future generations - any effort is worthwhile.
