The New Dress of the City: Natural Heat Shields

Climate change is also changing our cities. Heat, poor air quality, insufficient biodiversity, too few well-designed open spaces, excessive car traffic – the stressors in cities are well known and omnipresent. But what can be done to overcome current and future challenges? The exhibition "The New Dress of the City" by the landscape architecture firm Planstatt Senner provides a compelling insight into this highly topical issue and describes both clear and effective solutions.
Opening: Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Exhibition: until September 6, 2025

Climate change is clearly noticeable. Temperatures are rising all over the world, and extreme weather situations are becoming increasingly frequent, leading to heat waves and droughts, as well as heavy rainfall and flooding. Of course, Germany is not spared from the consequences of climate change either. Even now, there is too little rainfall year-round, and the summer climate is often unbearable. In cities, a special phenomenon arises: Due to the type of development and the sealing of land, so-called "heat islands" arise, which often make living in them almost impossible. People and animals suffer from heat stress, which is further exacerbated by the fact that cooling down at night is often no longer possible. This cycle of ever-warming urban spaces must be broken so that cities remain livable places in the future.

In the exhibition "The City's New Look - Natural Heat Shields," the landscape architecture firm Planstatt Senner GmbH from Überlingen on Lake Constance is intensively addressing this highly topical topic. Thermal imaging taken with drones, for example, demonstrates how dramatically the urban climate has actually changed. Beyond the explanatory and cautionary words, however, the exhibition also demonstrates sensible and often surprisingly simple measures that could be used to regulate the urban climate and thus significantly improve the quality of life. An important part of the exhibition is the physical experience itself: It takes place in summer, meaning that the urban climate can be felt firsthand even outside the gallery spaces. Inside, a selection of plants will ensure a noticeably cooler indoor climate – and thus make you very aware that now is the time to act.

Opening: 16.7.2025, 6:30 pm
Lecture: Prof. Maria Auböck, Landscape Architect, Vienna