Spanning time: The 'Löwenbrunnen' in the main building of TH Köln

The Löwenbrunnen in the Claudiusstraße staircase looks back on a long and lively past - just like the university building itself. Built as an ornamental fountain in 1907 during the period of the German Empire, the fountain was converted into an "offering table" during the Nazi era. In 1938, a structure was built over it, after which it was almost forgotten by the building's various users over the decades. 75 years later, the fountain was rediscovered, uncovered and restored. Together with its architectural surroundings, it is a testimony to political history.

As part of the many activities our university is undertaking in its 50th anniversary year, the Löwenbrunnen and its immediate surroundings are in future to offer a place for reflection and discourse over the building's eventful history. What can this area look like? What meanings and impact did the fountain have in the past? What role should it play in the future? How can the stories inscribed in the materiality and form of the fountain and its structural surroundings be accessed and opened up to a broad public? What contribution can an artistic, creative, and medial reappraisal of history make to help render the past tangible, and how can a link to the present and to present-day actions and activities be established?

The University and Förderverein der TH Köln (Friends of TH Köln) are inviting all students to take part in a competition on the conception and design of the Löwenbrunnen.

The competition is endowed with prize money totaling EUR 3,000.
Three prizes are to be awarded:       
1st place: EUR 1,500
2nd place: EUR 1,000
3rd place: EUR 500

Elaborated concepts for temporary or permanent, static or changeable, physical or digital installations and applications may be submitted. These can be, for example:

• Temporary installations / on-site installations (with the possibility of permanent use)
• Storytelling formats or presentations of digital information, e.g. as multimedia apps, augmented reality applications or websites (also possible in combinations
• (Performative) on-site exhibitions
• Online archives
• Combinations of digital and physical elements

The key factors are:
a) Treatment of the object in a manner appropriate to the monument and the non-destructive realization of a physical idea as well as
b) Sustainability of the concept, entailing the possibility to document the installation permanently for the public.

• The idea is to be developed by a team of students. An interdisciplinary team of student designers, technicians, and students of the humanities, etc., is desirable, but not obligatory. Students from only one department may also participate.
  The group must consist of 3 to 8 persons.
• The competition can be designed and credited as an elective assignment: The formation of teams is to take place at the beginning of the summer semester, and the initial interim results are to be completed during the University Interdisciplinary Project (HIP) week. The project is to be finalized in the course of summer semester 2021.

• Two sheets in DIN A2 format (portrait) are to be submitted, one of which describes the idea and concept. The second sheet explains its feasibility in more detail. The competition proposal should be visually presented on the sheets. The sheets are to be sent as printable PDF files to the address stated below (see application and submission deadlines).
• For dynamic and interactive forms, alternative data can be submitted in a common format. In this case, only one sheet in DIN A2 containing the idea, concept and information on feasibility is to be submitted as a supplement.
• In addition, an explanatory text on the competition presentation (max. 2 DIN A4 pages in font size 12 as a PDF) is to be submitted, from which the jury can recognize which thesis the concept is pursuing, which data and information have been used or generated and with which epistemological interest these have been prepared.
• A rough cost calculation on the possible realization of the concept is also to be submitted.

German and English are accepted as competition languages.

Student groups are to register digitally for the competition by midnight on 9 April 2021.

The required conceptual documents (see scope of performance) are to be submitted to:
Monika Probst, Department of Communication and Marketing
monika.probst@th-koeln.de
Please provide larger file formats via a download link (e.g. WeTransfer, Google, Sciebo).

Deadline: 4.00 p.m. on 15 August 2021

The jury will meet between August and September 2021 and select the winners from the submitted works.

Peter Füssenich (Dombaumeister Dombauhütte Köln), Dr. Johanna Gummlich (Head of Rheinisches Bildarchiv), Claudia Hoffmann (Exhibition architect), Dr. Werner Jung (Head of NS-Dokumentationszentrums Köln), Milena Karabaic (Head of LVR–Dezernat Kultur und Landschaftliche Kulturpflege), Prof. Klaus Neuburg (Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften), Dr. Nadine Oberste-Hetbleck (Head of ZADIK, Universität zu Köln), Prof. Gabi Schwab-Trapp (HS Düsseldorf), Dr. Ulrich Soénius (Exekutiv Director IHK Köln, Head of Stiftung Rheinisch-Westfälisches Wirtschaftsarchiv zu Köln and Member of the Kuratorium TH Köln) und Dr. Thomas Werner (Stadtkonservator Köln)

Expected 4-8 October 2021