Sammerstreeruwitz :
Schmied-Villa in Gänserndorf

The Gänserndorf fairground was a cross between a gap between buildings and a local park: freely accessible to all, and green but not actually a park. As a field between fire walls and fences, it was primarily noticed in passing. The character of the location was dominated by the summer fete — either by the activities involved themselves or by their absence as the traces of the fairground remained throughout the year. However the two states of the site infringed upon one another. The fair damaged the field and the field was a hindrance to the fair. The project fest (&) wiese (fete (&) field) combines these conflicting elements. The traces of the fair mark the field as a location where one can sit down or lie in the sun, an attractive place to spend time. The elements of the field create more space for the fair, framing it, and are well prepared for the alarming situation that so many people mean for a field. The project fest (&) wiese is tailored for the double life of high and off seasons. The interventions can be dismantled or are ready for alternative use as banks for reclining on, viewing points and pavilions. Improved conditions have been created for the duration of the festivities (infrastructure, a new stage, permanent stalls), however the spontaneous temporary character of the venue remains intact. The project fest (&) wiese makes the off season to the high season: the permanent interventions for the fair make the field a better, more usable and diverse location. At the same time, the field has been made more resistant to the impact of the fair so that it can regenerate more quickly afterwards, and return to its normal condition. The transformability makes it more open to various uses: not a park, not an abandoned fairground, quite simply a common.
(sammerstreeruwitz)