An incredible number of people are seeking asylum in Germany. Although these newcomers are not yet familiar with how German communities function, the federal government expects them to quickly find ways to get involved. Such a situation calls for »visitor centers« – if we define a visitor centre as a building for persons who are in a location that is not (yet) their home.
At the moment, however, this definition is still grey theory. All sorts of new buildings are required to accommodate the refugees and migrants, and some of them will be erected using prefabricated modules – even though until recently in Germany the tendency has been to tear down this sort of building. But no one has spoken out publicly in favour of visitor centres.
If we look back in time, we’ll understand why. Their role was established 50 – at most 150 – years ago and has nothing to do with the present situation. To grasp what it really means to build for strangers we’ll have to go back even farther. (Hans Wolfgang Hoffmann)
At the moment, however, this definition is still grey theory. All sorts of new buildings are required to accommodate the refugees and migrants, and some of them will be erected using prefabricated modules – even though until recently in Germany the tendency has been to tear down this sort of building. But no one has spoken out publicly in favour of visitor centres.
If we look back in time, we’ll understand why. Their role was established 50 – at most 150 – years ago and has nothing to do with the present situation. To grasp what it really means to build for strangers we’ll have to go back even farther. (Hans Wolfgang Hoffmann)