Starting point / motivation

Church buildings are located in the centres of countless towns and cities in Austria and Europe, with over 500,000 sacred buildings across Europe representing enormous potential for exploiting their architectural, cultural, historical, social and community significance. The listed church ensemble 'St. Martin – Liefering' in Salzburg is a representative example and is to be developed as a scalable pilot project.

Contents and goals

Collaborative, participatory development of a NEB neighbourhood from a listed, actively used church parish centre so that it can serve as a multifunctional community centre in the future. 'Campus St. Martin' is intended to be an identity-forming, inclusive, open and lively centre.

It aims to revitalise the currently underused built-up space next to the spiritual offerings of a parish as a meeting place, a place of social cohesion and solidarity. For the first time, the NEB principles are being applied to a church-used, listed building ensemble with high impact potential on surrounding urban districts.

By combining architectural heritage, social innovation and comprehensive sustainability, a neighbourhood is being created that serves as a model for the whole of Austria and Europe.

Methods

Systematic inventory and determination of the initial situation, such as architectural, social, functional and energy analysis of the building complex and its surroundings. Potential analysis, co-design and participation formats to develop a NEB target catalogue and thereby create broad support, acceptance and identification. This is followed by scenario development and evaluation, prototyping and creation of the overall vision and implementation plan.

Expected results

Utilising the architectural potential of churches and sacred spaces as urban innovation platforms – a pioneering European approach. In line with the NEB initiative, the 'Campus St. Martin' is to be transformed into a multifunctional, inclusive neighbourhood hotspot – a new 'third place' as a centre for informal encounters, culture, social and personal exchange, education and community. The project shows ways to combine monument preservation with new utilisation concepts.

Project management

HOME Campus, c/o Loretto Gemeinschaft gemeinnützige GmbH

Project or cooperation partners

• Architekturbüro Wildenauer
• AKXSO GmbH
• Pfarre St. Martin Salzburg
• Bauamt der Erzdiözese Salzburg

HOME Campus gemeinnützige GmbH
Mike Breneis
Kapitelplatz 6
A-5020 Salzburg
Tel.: +43 (681) 849 818 64
E-mail: mike@home-salzburg.com
Web: www.home-salzburg.com