GROW TOGETHER
A project
by Topotek1
In recent years, the world has been confronted with crises that have left no one indifferent. From the devastation of the pandemic to the widespread increase of atmospheric temperatures in cities, both of which have resulted in an overwhelming number of deaths. A recent study published in 2023 indicates that if cities extend tree coverage by up to 30%, temperatures can drop by half a degree Celsius during summer heat waves. Individually this may seem like a miniscule endeavor, however collectively it could prove otherwise.
Incepting the potential of this shared endeavor, Topotek 1 developed a collective action in three stages: deconstruction, activation, grow green. The concept assembles a gathering structure with a collection of seedlings. Scaffolding is reinterpreted as a light and reusable system – a strategy that is not only easily installed, reinstalled and reused, but can also eventually be repurposed and reactivated. An invitation to take the seedlings home generates a performance, rather than a temporary installation. As a live artistic space and social tool, the project rethinks the way we relate to each other and influence our environment. It also offers the potential of a dynamic process dependent on action, the chance to Grow Together Grow Green.
Topotek1
Topotek 1 was founded in 1996 by Martin Rein-Cano in Berlin. Since 1999, he has run the studio in equal partnership with Lorenz Dexler. Carsten Schmidt has been an associate partner of Topotek 1 since 2021. In 2017, Topotek 1 Architektur was founded by Martin Rein-Cano, Lorenz Dexler and Dan Budik. Topotek 1 is a diverse, lively, and multidisciplinary office composed of a highly qualified international team of architects, landscape architects, and administrative staff. Working at the intersection of the fields of landscape architecture, urbanism, and architecture,Topotek 1 considers itself a traveller that explores the fringe areas of typologies and scales. Driven by its conceptual approach, Topotek 1 considers public spaces to be an expression of visions and of society as a whole. The studio develops design concepts through a critical understanding of extant contemporary realities as well as of cultural and historical references. Through this holistic strategy, Topotek 1generates solutions that fulfill the modern requirements of variability, communication, and sensuality, creating contemporary spaces for contemporary uses.
