German Pavilion
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"The city the earth needs"
The UNESCO invites member states and international non-governmental organisations to participate in the development of Auroville as an international cultural township designed to bring together the values of different cultures and civilisations in a harmonious environment with integrated living standards which correspond to man's physical and spiritual needs.
Extract of one of the four resolutions by General Assembly of UNESCO to support Auroville (passed in 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1983)
Context and Concept
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Auroville – an experiment in Unity
Auroville was founded in South India in 1968 as an experiment to manifest human unity through the creation of an international Township. The aim of the project has been to develop an urban model of human unity and international understanding, by bringing together human beings from all nations to live together in an atmosphere of equality. Auroville’s vision is based on a philosophy that integrates western concepts of evolution and eastern concepts of spirituality – and it is the vision of its founder Mira Alfassa of France, also known as ”The Mother”, and the Indian Yogi and Philosopher Sri Aurobindo.
This inner orientation of Auroville has manifested in innovative cultural, architectural, ecological, technological and social approaches across a wide range of developmental areas. These have influenced not only the immediate project and its bio-region, but are now reaching beyond to other parts of India and the world. Over the last decades innumerable people from all over the world have participated in the development of Auroville and have become inspired by its vision.
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The International Zone of Auroville
According to the founder, one of the four areas of the upcoming Township of Auroville consists of the ”International Zone”(IZ). Here the different cultures on earth will be expressed by the construction of ”National Pavilions”.
”The nation or society, like the individual, has a body, an organic life, a moral and aesthetic temperament, a developing mind and a soul behind all these signs and powers for the sake of which they exist”, Sri Aurobindo writes in his book ”The human cycle” under the chapter ”Discovering the soul of nation”, and as The Mother explains, that is why each of the pavilions in the International Zone of Auroville must represent the ”soul of the country”, ”the centre of national aspiration, the fountainhead of all that is beautiful, noble, great and generous in the life of the country”.
Behind Auroville’s unique concept of National Pavilions lies the understanding, that only through the representation and acknowledgement of the characteristics of national cultures can a real foundation be provided for unification beyond the national level (e.g. in Europe). Through the symbolic elaboration of each nation’s respective cultural potential one can thus perceive their contribution and their role in a peaceful co-operation.
This interpretation makes it clear, that here there is a different goal to that of the competition-oriented presentations in the tradition of the World Expo. Here the pavilions will exhibit to the international visitors of Auroville and the members of participating nations the characteristics and qualities of each collective-spiritual identity. In this way the finalised pavilions in the International Zone of Auroville can highlight the interlinked and complementary mosaic of human cultures on this planet.
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Actual building projects in the IZ
Bharat Nivas – the Indian Pavilion
The first project in the International Zone, already initiated in the 70s, was the construction of Bharat Nivas, the Indian Pavilion. Bharat Nivas today has become a striking landmark in Auroville’s architectural landscape. Regular cultural events are performed in its auditorium by well known artists from India and from abroad. The campus of Bharat Nivas also includes the ”Centre of Indian Culture”, two guest houses and a library. A centre, dedicated to the cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu (the State of India, where Auroville is located), is also planned in the same area.
Pavilion of Tibetan Culture
In 1993, HRH the Dalai Lama laid the inauguration stone for the Tibetan Pavilion during his second visit to Auroville. Nearing completion, the Pavilion has already become an active centre for maintaining the Tibetan Culture. For Aurovilians, guests and visitors the Pavilion has become a vivid and attractive destination, through the presence of Tibetan Professors and Scholars, the presentation of exhibitions and the staging of Tibetan related performances.
The Visitors Centre of Auroville
To receive and inform, in an appropriate way, the many thousands of guests and visitors coming to Auroville, a Visitors Centre was built in the 90s at the entrance to the International Zone. The Centre consists of an information service with exhibitions about Auroville, a video room, a cafeteria, a book shop and several boutiques that also offer handicrafts made in Auroville.
Foundation stone-laying for Pavilions
Soon after the German initiative, the foundation stones for the Russian, American, African and French Pavilions were laid. Moreover, projects like the ”UNITY- Pavilion”, ”CIRHU” and the ”Hall of Peace” have also been initiated.
The Unity-Pavilion
The ”Unity-Pavilion”, meant as a catalyst for the further development of the International Zone, is now in its first construction phase. It intends to provide a platform for co-operation and the mutual exchange of information to the different Pavilion groups. The Unity-Pavilion will also be used to prepare the development of further Pavilions. Through an interactive exchange with national and international educational institutions it will make use of various didactic functions as well.
Centre for International Research for Human Unity (CIRHU)
CIRHU as an interdisciplinary educational institution is putting its focus of research not only on the common aspects of the evolution of human consciousness, but also on the possibilities to realise an actual human unity through global understanding.
After its completion the campus of CIRHU will provide a wide-ranging multimedia resource centre for studies, research and networking, and auditoriums and conference facilities for international events and programs are foreseen.
Hall of Peace
George Nakashima, an architect and designer active in the middle of the last century, dreamed of installing a Peace Table in each of the continents of the world. The first object was placed in the Cathedral of St. John-the-Divine in New York City. The second table is placed in Moscow, and Auroville has agreed to host the ”Peace Table” for Asia. For the time being the table is situated in the Centre for Indian Culture, but will eventually be located in the planned ”Hall of Peace” in the International Zone.
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The German Pavilion – an expression of spirit and creation
f0 The idea to start work on Auroville’s German Pavilion came in 1992, and since then a group of interested people have met regularly on weekends for intense workshop sessions. Support for this group and the Pavilion-Initiative in Auroville is from AV International (AVI) Germany e.V. - a recognised public association (see appendix).
The remarks of Sri Aurobindo about Germany that are found in his book ”The Human Cycle” have served as a reference with regard to the contents of the German Pavilion. According to these insights, the fulfilment and future task of the ”German Soul” lies in the happy realisation of both the idealistic and pragmatic aspects of their nature (see appendix). Their pre-eminent aspects are on one hand philosophy and music, and on the other hand a dispassionate and rational attitude towards research and production. Hence the need for a utilisation model for the German Pavilion, which has to fulfil this particularly spectrum of qualities and also manifest their common vision.
Thus to conclude, the Pavilion shall not only embody the German soul aspects in a symbolic way, but should be simultaneously of practical benefit to a vital and essential task of Auroville.
On August 15, 2001, an inauguration ceremony and reception for German Aurovillians marked the beginning of the real planning- and construction phase of the German Pavilion in Auroville.
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Brief for an architectural design
The German Pavilion has to fit into the International Zone in a way that it makes sense at each stage of its development. This demands that the solution not only be modular and adaptable, but should also be easy to extend. Herein lies the challenge that the pavilion does not grow in a piecemeal fashion, but it should have worked out its particular, imprinting, central themes from the very beginning.
Furthermore the German Pavilion should adapt itself to the existing concept of the International Zone with its campus character.
With respect to the aspects of ”German quality” described above, and the resulting synthesis to be derived from this, the aim is to create a building that is based on an integral guiding idea, which would also be suitable as the core for further development.
As an integral theme the members of the German Pavilion Group defined ”water” as an idea. On the one hand for its qualities as the creator of life and its expression of the joy of life and beauty and on the other hand as a medium that carries energy, whose possibilities to date have hardly been explored. At the same time, this guiding idea of water should find its expression in or on this building in an artistic/creative way, as a combination of light, water and sound.
This is based on the insight that, today more than ever, a careful handling of this precious resource is crucial and with this may come many new insights into its secrets. This requires space and equipment dedicated to different kinds of water research. Besides the development of alternative (appropriate) technologies for the desalination of sea water, it could also include leading edge scientific research of specially processed water to potentially carry information.
further planned part of the building would provide a hall, that is acoustically highly adaptable, and that would be suitable for concert performances and for use by a music school. In this case ‘concert’ does not only mean a performance of German composers but Indian and International music as well, with its focus more on classical musical styles. The quality of the technical specification of this room can be anywhere from its basic structural acoustic function up to and including sophisticated high tech equipment. An additional workshop for the production and maintenance of musical instruments is also foreseen.
Finally a separate area should represent the "Vision" of Germany in an adequate manner. In this space both exhibitions and lectures should be made possible.
Additional space requirements: Two to three single room guest apartments; caretakers flat; reception area and a small Café;
Miscellaneous:
Ornamental gardens around the building, possibly in connection with a fountain (if possible combining aesthetic and utility equipment together).
No free-standing building, but integrated into a ”European plaza”, with possible links to neighbouring buildings (e.g. French or Russian pavilions)
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Financing and Timescale
Financing (modular system)
Building costs - including site development and infrastructure (proportionately)
Equipment
Financing share for Unity-Pavilion (10 % of its building cost as obligatory share of each Pavilion group)
Maintenance of the building after completion (electricity, telephone, water, repairs, new purchase etc. and the staff: caretaker)
Potential financing
Private donations / sponsoring by firms and institutions / subsidies from German Consulate, German Embassy, German Foreign Ministry / Institutions and Foundations, Indo-German Societies etc.
Fee-paying workshops / guest rooms / visitors fee and entry fee via AV Fund
Remark: An offer has already been submitted to provide the building with up-to-date solar/fuel cell technology.
Timescale
To be provided
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Call for participation
u8232 The preparatory work for the Pavilion has now been developed well enough for its concrete realisation to begin.
For us to take this step and to transform the existing energy into plans and buildings, we need financial support. To realise the first phase of the building, a total amount of € 50.000,- is needed.
Whoever feels inclined to support the construction of the German Pavilion in Auroville, can obtain a share certificate for the amount of € 500,- in the form of a pledge that only needs to be honoured when 99 other people have made the same commitment. The first pledges have already been made.
aturally, smaller contributions are also welcome, and, as for the share certificate, donations can gain tax exemption.
We hope for both spontaneous and generous support!
Share certificate
u8232 Certificate Number
Pavilion-
evelopment-
hare
€ 500
Surname, Name
Street, Town , Pincode
Telephone, Fax, e-mail
Date, Signature
The undersigned is prepared to donate the amount of € 500,- for the construction of the German Pavilion in Auroville. This amount will be due, as soon as a total of 100 of these shares have been signed.
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A brief outline of Auroville / India
At the moment Auroville has approximately 2000 inhabitants from 35 different countries. The nations represented most at present are India, France and Germany.
AV accommodates the largest German Community in South India.
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Over the last 15 years, approximately 8000 to 10000 international visitors came to AV each year. About 10% thereof, i.e. 800 to 1000 yearly, were Germans.
The AV-Foundation is supported by the Indian Ministry of Human Resources. Amongst others the official support from Germany for the Auroville Project has been granted by the ”Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit”, the ”Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau” and the ”Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit”.
In co-operation with the Centre for Scientific Research (CSR) of Auroville, many internationally published innovation- and research developments have been initiated.
Auroville is a participant in global-oriented conferences in specialized fields, as well as in ecology, architecture, afforestation, and around the theme of human unity. AV has also been hosting international conferences (most notably: Asia Urbs, February 2002 / International Forum of young architects, September 2002).
One of the largest software companies of South India started its growth in Auroville. There are also contacts between some of Auroville’s companies and the IT-Pool of neighbouring Bangalore, popularly referred to as India’s ‘Silicon Valley’.
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Appendix
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Editor/Publisher:
aviliongroup of Auroville International (AVI) Germany
Office
Auroville International Deutschland e.V.
Danziger Str.121, 10407 Berlin
Tel. 030 - 42 80 31 50
Fax 030 - 92 09 13 76
eMail info@de.auroville-international.org
Internet
www.de.auroville-international.org (Website of AVI Germany, menu
f1"deutscher Pavillon")
www.auroville.org (Website of Auroville)
Cultural / scientific advisory body of AVI D
(State 2002)
Prof. Dr. Karlheinz Stockhausen, Composer, Kürten;
Prof. Ilse Middendorf, Breathing Therapist, Berlin;
Prof. Dr. Wilfried Belschner, Chair in Psychology, Oldenburg;
Prof. Margrit Kennedy, Chair in Architecture, Hannover.
Account
AVI Germany, keyword "Pavilion", Ökobank, Kto.102 090 80 (BLZ 500 901 00)
Donations to AVI D resp. for the German Pavilion, can gain tax exemption.