FABLINZ - Commons of Production
First prize Ex Aequo
Europan 14 - Productive Cities, Linz
FABLINZ is an innovation ecosystem. The new quarter will establish relationships between stakeholders at different scales and spanning across sectors (from education to manufacturing, from the governmental to research).
The spaces provided, and the programmed activities, translate into the breakdown of traditional siloes within, and outside, manufacturing, stimulating the serendipitous discovery of innovative products and services.
FABLINZ, is meant to be governed by a same-name not-for-profit body which will implement the “Commons of Production”, a vision of shared knowledge and know-how, where the major players in the local and regional manufacturing and research panorama can meet grass-root enterprises, SMEs and local skills.
The quarter leverages local assets, such as the vibrant street retail, the many schools and vocational institutes, to provide new services and spaces to stakeholders not usually involved in fabrication and innovation.
Urban density also allows for a symbiotic relationship, where a productive activity can use the waste from another as a resource: these can be heat, food, or even second hand tools and objects that can be up-cycled and given back to locals.
FABLINZ will trigger the regeneration of Wienerstrasse and Andreas-Hofer districts, acting as a link between the old town and the XIXc-XXc expansion of the city. The district’s programme will generate increased footfall which will benefit local retail and small manufacturing workshops - while its design will reactivate the west frontage of Wienerstrasse and add a buzzing cluster of activities.
The urban morphology of the project reflects this vision. FABLINZ is the evolution of the traditional workshop-and-housing urban block. Taking inspiration from the morphology of the surrounding fabric, progressively saturated with a blend of retail and small craftsmanship, FABLINZ offers a new, more permeable model of mixed use. Housing, offices and retail seamlessly integrate productive activities and complete the on-site mix of uses.
At street level, the new development opens up to its surroundings, while the alignment of masses still suggests the continuity of Wienerstrasse. The fragmented slabs of the upper floors are designed to convey a sense of enclosure while keeping an open and permeable structure. The result is a deconstructed and re-engineered version of the productive block, with a richer variety of spaces and opportunities for interaction.
