The city of St. Pölten has received the renowned client award for the KinderKunstLabor
Central Association of Architects in Austria for 2024.
“From the idea that arose in the citizen participation processes at the time, through the call for proposals, planning and implementation with the children’s advisory groups, to the opening, everyone pulled together. I would like to thank everyone involved – they all played their part in this award, which is exceptional for St. Pölten,”
said Mayor Matthias Stadler.
The project, designed by Schenker Salvi Weber Architekten ZT GmbH, is characterized by an exceptional combination of functionality and aesthetic appeal. The spatial structure of the house should enable open and creative processes as well as the free development of the different personalities of the young audience. The artistic director and the children’s advisory board were involved in the architects’ planning process from the beginning.
“The fact that the KinderKunstLabor for contemporary art is receiving the renowned Austrian Bauherr:innenpreis 2024 is a great and extremely important signal. It focuses on the importance and architectural quality of a new building in which a young generation can encounter art on an equal level,”
n/a Mona Jas.
A child from the children’s council explains how important this encounter is for society as a whole: “The children are the future for you!”
Mona Jas continued: “Every newly born person carries their own world within them, is inherently political through individual actions and thus transforms it. Hannah Arendt coined the concept of natality – of being born. Diversity, ambiguity and singularity – also the nucleus of art – are at the same time the foundations of critical thinking and democracy. For these connections, the city of St. Pölten, the architects’ office Schenker Salvi Weber, has created a unique building surrounded by a wonderful park and for that I, as the artistic director of the house, am eternally grateful.”
The award highlights the importance of this project and the growing recognition of the need to create spaces that promote the development of creativity and critical thinking in young people. Together with everyone involved, the KinderKunstLabor team is extremely pleased about this honor.
About the Children’s Art Laboratory for contemporary art
The KinderKunstLabor in Altoonapark in St. Pölten is an exhibition center for international contemporary art and a meeting place for children, artists and art. A variety of media are shown, from video art and photography to painting, sculpture, installations, sound art, performance and accompanying scientific work. In this new house with three exhibitions a year and a range of thematically interlinked workshops and projects, the focus is on children up to 12 years of age. The aim is to address them in a special way and to sustainably support and promote their wealth of ideas and creative power. The child’s perspective is the central pivotal point.
Builder: in
City of St. Pölten
architecture
Schenker Salvi Weber Architects, Vienna
Open space planning
bauchplan ).(
Structural planning
Werner Sobek AG, Stuttgart
We would be happy to provide you with further information and images.
Children’s art laboratory for contemporary art
Schulring 24, 3100 St. Pölten
willkommen@kinderkunstlabor.at
www.kinderkunstlabor.at