A sunny autumn afternoon is drawing to an end. On a piece of wasteland in the 17th District one finds a scattering of tables and chairs, a small greenhouse, an awning, signs driven into the ground, a bag of potting soil, chessboards, and all sorts of technical equipment. A car pulls to a halt and neighbors drop off two folding wooden chairs that they set up on the ground – “to keep” they say.

The piece of wasteland at Lobenhauerngasse 2 was occupied by the Institute for Valuation (IFW) for the entire duration of VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2020. During the ten days of the festival, Kollektiv Raumstation, the project initiators, researched the hidden value of such wasteland and urban open space, which is beyond the scope of commercial valuation models. To this end, they developed a value measuring station that collects and documents the intangible, ideal, and communal value of the wasteland. The aim of the project members was to create an everyday utopia together with neighbors and festival visitors. They did this by developing a varied program that had much to offer, from communal meals, yoga sessions, and chess tournaments to wasteland concerts, readings, and a silent disco. In addition to this, the Institute for Valuation provided space for individual projects and external initiatives, which were very well received by the neighborhood.

More detailed information at ifw.raumstation.org.

As part of VIENNA DESIGN WEEK, the Institute for Valuation was awarded the https://www.sponsoring.erstebank.at/de/kunst-und-kultur/design/stadtarbeit-und-designpreis-2020Erste Bank ExtraVALUE Design Award 2020.

Value measurement: daily 3pm–6pm
Wasteland library: daily 3pm–6pm