Brussels, Jun 9 (EFE).- The third edition of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Festival opened on Tuesday at Brussels’ Cinquantenaire Park, where European projects focused on community-based and sustainable architectural design will be showcased over the next five days alongside artistic performances and discussions involving experts and political representatives.
The initiative, launched by the European Commission in 2020, aims to rethink living spaces through art, architecture and sustainability, supporting local and environmentally friendly construction projects.
This year’s edition also places particular emphasis on democratic participation in community design and affordable housing.
More than 700 projects funded
To date, more than 700 projects across the European Union have received funding under the New European Bauhaus framework, involving more than 2,000 organizations through the Cohesion Fund and the Horizon Europe programme, representing total funding of €1.4 billion for the 2021-2027 period.
More than 70 projects selected for the festival feature cutting-edge materials and innovative architectural designs and are on display at the Art & History Museum in Brussels.
The festival also includes debates and round-table discussions on topics such as the circular economy in construction, preparing communities for climate change, and the role of artificial intelligence.
Other issues to be addressed include the reuse of underutilized spaces, urban reconstruction in emergencies — with Ukraine serving as a case study — and the need to develop tailored solutions for Europe’s diverse communities.
Dozens of activities planned
The New European Bauhaus will also host dozens of artistic performances and public activities, including flamenco, jazz, textile workshops and film screenings, offering a packed programme of European culture through Saturday.
Furthermore, the initiative supports parallel events across EU member states throughout June, including open-house days, art exhibitions, and community-action workshops.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa took part in the festival’s opening ceremony on Monday, highlighting the need to build more connected and resilient communities.
Von der Leyen announced an additional €50 million in funding for the NEB Academy to support knowledge-sharing and innovation, as well as financial backing for companies contributing to the initiative’s objectives.
More sustainable, more resilient and better connected
Von der Leyen stressed the need for the EU to move towards a construction model that is “more sustainable, more resilient and better connected” while maintaining the sector’s competitiveness.
“We have to turn waste into value,” she said.
Costa, meanwhile, underlined that European countries must “guarantee” regional and national programmes in the next EU budget, one of the key issues to be discussed at next week’s leaders’ summit.
“We need sustainability, we need innovation, and we need affordability,” Costa said, emphasizing the need to find solutions to the housing crisis facing the European Union. EFE