THE AD-HOC EMBASSY

The Ad-Hoc Embassy explores hybridity as a method of overcoming the issues of overpopulation and lack of identity associated with global mass migration. The project is located within Mannheim, Germany, a city with a history of migration events, and most recently a major arrival point for refugees of the European Migrant Crisis. Reflecting the cultural and social variety of the arrival city, the Ad-Hoc Embassy combines disparate programmes in one building to challenge traditional barriers of migrant and native.

The Multihalle combines a bierhalle and prayerhalle, to enable the embassy as a social and spiritual node within the arrival city. The usually unapproachable debating chamber is coupled with a laundrette, giving anybody validity to engage in local policy making, regardless of experience or background. Within the public library, reading and study spaces are hybridised with a barber and bakery, bringing the cross-societal experience of getting a haircut or buying bread into a civic, shared realm.

The Ad-Hoc Embassy was a joint thesis project of two 6^th year MArch Collaborative Practice students, who developed methodologies for collaboration, exploration and representation based on shared learning experiences in practice and academia during the 5^th year of the Collaborative Practice course.

Both students also secured university funding to host the Arrival City Exhibition in Mannheim in June 2018, which became an opportunity to share the whole studio’s work with the people of Mannheim, and promote idea sharing on how the Arrival City may adapt in the future.’

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