Circular oven – A public place for bread, crafts and community

Ever since humans were able to control fire, communal bakeries have been central places of food preparation and social exchange. In the modern city, this collaborative process has increasingly shifted into the private sphere. As a result, places were lost where communal knowledge, everyday culture and social relationships are created and cultivated. With the circular oven project, we want to re-establish such a place in an urban context. The circular oven acts as a publicly accessible infrastructure for communal bread baking, knowledge exchange and neighbourly encounters. An accompanying programme of baking days, workshops and community events is intended to create a low-threshold space for social participation and cultural exchange. Bread is a fundamental cultural asset and an expression of diverse traditions. The great diversity of bread cultures reflects the cultural diversity of our society. At the same time, the artisanal bakery trade is currently experiencing a renaissance: small, artisanal bakeries are being recreated, while traditional knowledge is increasingly in danger of disappearing. At the same time, food waste is particularly high for bread and baked goods at around 14 kg per person per year. The project addresses these topics and makes processes of baking, food production and the recycling of bread publicly visible. In addition to teaching handicraft techniques, questions of sustainable nutrition, resource conservation and the reduction of food waste are also addressed. The bakery trade serves as an exemplary approach to broader social issues relating to production, consumption and community responsibility. The core of the project is the planning and implementation of a bread bakery with a circular oven. The infrastructure includes work areas for dough processing and preparation, communal baking facilities as well as seating and dining areas. Construction and design are based on local materials such as clay and clay and take up traditional construction methods that take ecological and resource-saving aspects into account at the same time. The conceptual and design planning is carried out by the project team. An open community is to be built up for the realization and long-term operation. In the future, the foundation of an association of wood-fired oven bakers is planned, which will be responsible for the use, organisation and programme design of the circular oven. A network with existing wood-fired ovens in the city - for example in Wipkingen or on the Hardturmbrache - is planned. The aim is to create a local network that combines knowledge, experience and resources related to communal bread baking. Project objectives * Activation of communal spaces through participatory design, use and responsibility * Strengthening neighbourhoods and urban initiatives through community activities * Imparting knowledge on sustainable practices in food, construction and resource use * Making local materials and artisanal processes visible in construction and food production The circular oven sees itself as a social and cultural infrastructure in the urban space. The combination of craftsmanship, architecture and communal practice creates a place where everyday culture, sustainability and social encounters can be experienced directly.

Hardturmbrache, Wipkingen Church

We are an informal group (e.g. neighborhood group)

Susanne Triller

I/we are still looking for comrades-in-arms

Open space in outdoor space, e.g. Kollerwiese