Steyr 2035: A master plan is needed for the centre

A coalition of architects, creatives and restaurateurs wants to show this courage. With the provocative question “Is Steyr still OK?”, as reported, exhibitions, workshops, tours and more will take place on Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8th as part of the Architecture Days: The content ranges from clay to wood construction, from “Design your city” to sgraffito (decorative technique for designing wall surfaces).

Architect Claudia Mader is part of the project team and cites entrepreneur Robert Hartlauer as a positive example: “The decision was made consciously to stay in the city center, although a new building on a greenfield site would certainly have been easier and cheaper.”

Such and similar initiatives are needed to revitalize the city center. According to Mader, this requires something like a think tank for the city center. “There are creative and committed people here who want to make a difference, as well as the expertise of well-known architects and business people,” says Mader, who also emphasizes: “Politicians must first invest.” But every euro would pay off. She gives this concretely using the example of the Wehrgraben, which was saved from a fate as a parking area and concrete jungle. “If civil society had not succeeded in doing this at the time, it is more than questionable whether the university of applied sciences would have settled there.”

Visit comparable cities

Urban and village development is a hobbyhorse of the Steyr-based architecture firm Poppe*Prehal, which recently opened a branch in Vienna. “Our experience shows that lively community and city centers require many stakeholders and a long-term strategy,” says architect Helmut Poppe. He speaks of a master plan that is designed to last at least ten years and a specific person who is responsible for implementing large and small steps. It is also helpful to visit inner cities that have faced similar challenges to Steyr and are already one or two steps ahead.

Architect Julia Krendl is the organizer of the Steyr Architecture Days and moved from Graz to the old Eisenstadt four years ago. “I don’t believe in moaning, the backdrop of Steyr and the location on the water are unique.” Now it’s about bringing life and frequency to the city center. This can be achieved “because affordable renovation costs and monument protection are not mutually exclusive,” says the architect. She sees a lot of expertise in the city, “from the politicians’ side, they need the courage and trust to implement concepts one-to-one, instead of talking everything to death and making as many compromises as possible, as was the case with the town square.” Mader and Poppe agree with her on this.

In any case, Krendl hopes that the Architecture Days and all associated events will provide “many impulses, ideas and a great deal of optimism for Steyr”.