This year’s winners of the Gutenberg Scholarship of the City of Mainz were announced at a ceremony at the State Museum on December 4, 2024. Three projects from Mainz University of Applied Sciences were each presented with an award. The Gutenberg Scholarships are awarded in recognition of completed academic theses that represent an outstanding scientific, artistic, or professional achievement and are thematically related to the state capital Mainz. This year, the State Capital City of Mainz awarded six Gutenberg Scholarships to a total of nine award winners, three for theses completed at Mainz University of Applied Sciences and three for theses completed at Johannes Gutenberg University.
“As a university of applied sciences, we consider it one of our most important responsibilities to promote the exchange of ideas with the city and the region. We are thus particularly delighted that this award recognizes the social contribution of three of our university’s projects,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Susanne Weissman, President of Mainz University of Applied Sciences, at the award ceremony.
The award-winning projects in detail
Jakob Baumann, Elisabeth Knack, Mariana Paludo
Architecture degree program for their thesis: UP-Cycle Wohnsiedlung – Berliner Siedlung (UP-Cycle Housing Project – Berliner Siedlung)
Advisor: Prof. Dr. Marta Pelegrin
In their thesis, the three students dealt with the Berliner Siedlung housing project in Mainz. The housing project was built between 1961 and 1964, comprises 347 residential units, and is now showing its age. The three students from Mainz University of Applied Sciences conducted interviews with residents and created designs with proposals for improvement based on their wishes. By intervening in the exterior and interior spaces and adapting the installation engineering, they developed a design project for sustainable and flexible living.
Tiemen Bohland and Irena Halaczkiewicz
Architecture degree program for their thesis: UP-Cycle Wohnsiedlung – Wohnregal (UP-Cycle Housing Project – “Wohnregal”)
Advisor: Prof. Dr. Marta Pelegrin
The two students’ thesis focused on renovation and interior architecture strategies for the conversion of post-war housing developments using the example of the Kreyßigstraße/Richard-Wagner-Straße housing project in Mainz’s Neustadt district. The Wohnregal project focuses on the northeast building, which has three entrances, five floors and a total of 30 apartments. Wohnregal adds two new floors to the existing building using modular timber construction and offers concepts for the renovation of the existing building in terms of energy efficiency and materials.
Malin Liv Günther
Communication Design degree program for her thesis: Part Platform
Advisor: Prof. Philipp Pape
Malin Liv Günther’s work deals with regional art in Mainz and addresses the question of how to improve the networking and visibility of the art scene. This thesis focuses particularly on PARTPARTPART e.V. Since its establishment in June 2022, the initiative has established itself as a fixture in Mainz’s cultural scene and highlights the importance of space for art and culture in the city.
