Wood construction site

In its exhibition "Construction Site Wood," the BDA Gallery presents, based on current construction production, how wood as a resource is shaping construction technology and opening up a new aesthetic.

Discourse 1

"Form follows conditions": The new forest is writing the new rules.

Fifty years ago, the use of wood as a building material reached its lowest point. With the construction of the Multihalle in Mannheim, Frei Otto simultaneously demonstrated the potential of this material by radically reducing resources. It wasn't until the turn of the millennium that timber construction was rediscovered as a sustainability strategy—not as a regional renaissance, but as an internationally networked new beginning. This new timber construction established itself as a scientific discipline, but without the regionally traditional knowledge of forests and forestry. It underwent various appropriations, such as serialization, although it—more than any other construction technique—is inherently individual innovation. Global warming is forcing forest conversion and re-opening the issue of timber availability. Is a symbiosis between a biodiverse ecosystem and forestry production conceivable? Digital representations of forest habitats can promote regional and customized innovations. The future of timber construction lies not in standardized solutions, but in utilizing local resources. Aesthetics and technology follow the conditions of the material – not as a limitation, but as a precise regulation of innovative design. We cordially invite you to discuss with our guests:
Under what ecological criteria is new, individual construction with timber possible from now on? Only in innovation do aesthetics and reason meet.

Discourse 2

"Urban timber construction, quo vadis? Who plans and builds the renewable city?"

We'll discuss the narratives of modular construction and serial prefabrication, and why we absolutely need architects for sustainable buildings.

Opening & Discourse 1: April 1, 2025, 7 p.m.
Prof. Dr. Galina Churkina (Head of the Department of Urban Ecology at TU Berlin)
Prof. Andreas Bolte (Director of the Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems in Eberswalde)
Prof. Ludger Dederich (Rottenburg University of Forestry)
Dr. Stephan Lang (President of the German Sawmill and Timber Industry Association)
Prof. Jens Ludloff (Chair of Sustainability in Building Construction and Design at the University of Stuttgart)

Finnisage & Discourse 2: April 29, 2025, 7 p.m.
Susanne Scharabi
Daniel Rozyinski