raumlaborberlin

House of Time, on living in the now takes us into the cosmos of House of Time, a social-artistic project in Bruges (BE), started by Berlin-based architects’ collective raumlabor in the context of the Bruges Triennial 2018. It was developed in close collaboration with a group of (vulnerable) local youngsters, their social workers, young artists and other residents of Bruges. Within a year, the former industrial and dockland site has been transformed into a place where youngsters can be, reflect on their lives and above all: live in the present.

The booklet looks back at the social, design and build process of House of Time, between September 2017 and September 2018. It wants to share some of the experiences and immaterial memories, and also some of the special moments that are every bit as much the essence of House of Time as its physi- cal appearance. House of Time, on living in the now is not a comprehensive documentary, but rather an attempt to transmit this intense period of imagining, producing and being together into the timeless sphere of this booklet. It is a mixture of descriptive texts, conversations with the involved youngsters, social partners and cultural partners and visual material — such as artistic drawings and photos of the building process and spaces — that captures the spirit of the project. Complementing this are three short essays, written from specific perspectives on House of Time. They share thoughts about the social, cultural and spatial impact of such a project on a historical city like Bruges. They broaden the subject and explore House of Time as a case study to give us an insight into the impact of such an artistic project on a group, a neighbourhood and a city.