RITUALS OF ASSEMBLY
DESIGN STUDIO, TU WIEN
Rituals of Assembly is a design studio that approaches architecture as a shared ritual—one that connects material, social, and cultural narratives to uncover new spatial possibilities.
Developed within the broader urban regeneration process of the Stadtgarten, a former flower nursery in Gmunden, Austria, the studio was conducted in collaboration with students from the Institute of Architectural Design at TU Wien. Together, participants explored procedural modes of production and cycles of assembly and disassembly through a series of full-scale interventions.
At the core of the studio was an iterative process of prototyping, where making itself became a collective ritual. Emphasizing rhythm, participation, and shared authorship, the project fostered a sense of involvement and identity within the local community. The work unfolded through a sequence of experiments across different scales, beginning with a performative site analysis, continuing through off-site ritual prototypes, and culminating in on-site construction activities developed in close collaboration with local residents.
STADT/GARTEN ACTIVATION
The resulting interventions highlighted the potential of regional resource networks while opening new perspectives for the future development of the site. By activating bottom-up initiatives and collective forms of stewardship, the studio sought to generate lasting social and spatial impact.
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The resulting interventions highlighted the potential of regional resource networks while opening new perspectives for the future development of the site. By activating bottom-up initiatives and collective forms of stewardship, the studio sought to generate lasting social and spatial impact.
Among the outcomes was a new entrance space named “Well Bell”, centered around an existing water well. The intervention includes an L-shaped brick bench, decorated with the participation of a local kindergarten, and a newly constructed bell tower that acts as a sonic marker of the site’s ongoing revitalization.
Another project, “Tale-Tiles,” transformed a former Stadtgarten shopfront into an open workshop equipped with custom tile-making stations. Drawing on local clay resources and regional ceramic traditions, the initiative developed a site-specific graphic language intended to transmit stories and events across generations. Local polytechnic students were actively involved in the process and will continue to contribute to the workshop’s future development.
The studio also produced “Allee für Alle” (Boulevard for All), an intervention that challenges the progressive mineralization of the site through collective tree planting. Community members were invited to donate, plant, and care for new trees, transforming the act of cultivation into a shared civic practice. The project subsequently inspired a public petition advocating for regular public access to the site and contributed to the formation of a community dedicated to its long-term maintenance.
Rituals of Assembly forms part of the programme of the LINA European Architecture Platform, a network connecting established institutions with emerging practitioners in architecture, design, and art to develop collaborative responses to the climate crisis.
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