Emscher Village | OOZE Architects

The temporary Visitors Center for EMSCHERKUNST.2013 and the Art Camp for local art associations are made from re-used oversea containers which house the different programs. By keeping the layout strictly on ground level and referring to a path through a village, not only the space inside matters, but also the various in-between spaces, sheltered by a roof or open-air.  In this way a variety of social spaces are created while keeping the site fully permeable. Along this path spanning from the visitors center to the art camp and connecting the Rhein-Herne canal to the Lindnerstrasse, different activities are plugged-in. The journey through this village and the sequence of activities go from rent a bike, information, cafes, shop, cinema towards artist village with art production and education and finally reaching the artist in residence. The path itself is defined by the different qualities of the ground: pallets, pebbles, gardens and flower fields. The roof shadows the containers, creates space sheltered from the elements underneath and offers a spatial chromatic experience.