City Lab Berlin - Norwich University, Belziger Strasse 25, Berlin (2026)

17/11/2025

We are pleased to invite you to join us for the group exhibition, „A Sense of Belonging“, in celebration of CityLAB:Berlin’s 10th and NU SoA+A’s 30th Anniversary.

A Sense of Belonging
November 29 | 2025

18 – 21 Uhr

***Snacks and drinks will be served***

This exhibition features works by artists, architects and researchers from our extended CityLAB:Berlin community of collaborators and colleagues. We are immensely grateful for everyone we have had the privilege to cross paths with and collaborate with over the years; and lucky to know so many inspiring and capable presences. A special thank you to all who contributed their work for this exhibition.

Please join us at the artist-run gallery, Kotti-Shop, to celebrate!
https://kotti-shop.net/
***

A Sense of Belonging @ Kotti-Shop Berlin, curated by Mareike Lee

With works by:

Kalvin Acheampong, Cara Armstrong, Carter Bass, Andrea Benze, Doug Cooper, David Decker, Christian Dengler, Julien Deroitte, Elle Desjardins, Eva Dietrich, Alisa Dworsky, Christoph Eckrich, Max Eilbacher, Theresa Ewomazino Esabunefe, Lily Frank, Helmut Franz, Jason Galligan-Baldwin, Tove Gidlund, Jesse Harmon, Gabrielle Henry, Michael Hoffman, Ebba Jakobsson, Zvonimir Kontrec, Joseph Kudirka, Michael Kutschbach, Gregor Langenbrinck, Mareike Yin-Yee Lee, GianCarlo Littell Greco, Quinn McCormick, Tim Parker, Shaili Patel-Legge, Stefan Pernthaller, Danny Sagan, Barbara Schmelzer-Ziringer, Art Schaller, Daniel Schnatterer, Zach Seibold, Sheridan Steiner, Tolya Stonorov, Sam Talbot-Kelley, Aron Temkin, Katarina Wabrek, James Wetzel, Christopher Wiersema, Tom Yacawych, Ellen Zhu

With exhibition support from: Simon Frakl, Rylie Harper, Dasha Nazarova

Poster by: Solar Garden Studios aka Jesse Harmon

12/11/2025

Please join us for our upcoming Fall 2025 THURSDAY TALKS at CityLAB:Berlin!

These editions feature guest speakers Fabian Halfar and Niklas Steinke on the topic of "Extractive urban landscapes. On the expansion of data centers in Berlin and the transformation of urban infrastructures" on November 13th,

and

Amara Goodwin with "Re-Building Memory: Indian Residential Schools in Canada" on November 20th.

The talks will be moderated by Dr. Barış Ülker of CityLAB:Berlin.
***Details and abstracts are below.***
All are welcome, admission is free.
Those who are unable to join in person may join us via Teams: CLB THURSDAY TALK I | Besprechung beitreten | Microsoft Teams

All the best,
the CityLAB:Berlin Team

***
NOVEMBER 13, 18 - 21 Uhr
Fabian Halfar
Niklas Steinke

Extractive urban landscapes. On the expansion of data centers in Berlin and the transformation of urban infrastructures.

Abstract
The extensive application and development of artificial intelligence and cloud computing is not possible without the rapid expansion of data centers. Thousands of high-performance servers store and process the data of transnational companies, public administrations and individuals. This marks a new phase in the transformation process of digital capitalism, in which technology companies and the financial industry are increasingly investing in the physical expansion of digital infrastructures.

While the potential for economic development or the carbon footprint of data centers are the main topics of discussion, research has so far hardly looked at the local impact in cities, particularly in Germany. As data centers require large amounts of electricity and space to operate, they exert considerable pressure on existing urban infrastructure networks. At the same time, they produce significant amounts of waste heat that can potentially be supplied to heating networks.

Based on relevant reports and interviews with key stakeholders, we examine how data centers are integrated into urban infrastructure networks and how the current expansion is transforming existing networked infrastructures. We focus on the metropolitan region of Berlin, where massive investments are being made in data center expansion. With a focus on the changing political economy of urban infrastructures, we can understand how data center construction affects urban living conditions and future urban development.
In Berlin, we see how speculation with grid connections for data centers has already blocked extensive capacities of the high-voltage grid, so that we can speak of a capture of the local power grid by data centers, real estate developers and indirectly by international cloud providers. This is at the expense of local businesses that are affected by “energy gentrification”.

The potential for using waste heat hardly plays a role in data center expansion. Instead, new financially strong players are building proprietary heat networks in the vicinity of data center locations.
To describe the relationship of expanding data centers to urban infrastructure networks under the conditions of digital capitalism, we propose the term digitally induced infrastructure extractivism. This encompasses the appropriation and scaling of infrastructure networks for the expansion of data centers and the underlying business model of cloud computing. We see this as the emergence of a fragmented urban development and infrastructure policy dominated by private actors, which is in line with what Graham and Marvin have already described as "splintering urbanism".

***
NOVEMBER 13, 18 - 20 Uhr
Amara Goodwin

Re-Building Memory: Indian Residential Schools in Canada.

Abstract
The Indian Residential School System (IRSS) gained global attention in 2021 with the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at a former school in Kamloops, British Columbia. Between 1831 and 1996, more than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were forcibly removed to attend government-funded, church-run schools. The lasting impact of the IRSS continues to affect survivors, their descendants, and communities, causing profound multigenerational trauma.

The architecture of these schools played a significant role in enforcing aggressive assimilation, exerting power over Indigenous children and communities for generations. The question of how to deal with the former school buildings has ignited one of the most divisive debates in recent years. The IRSS sites exist outside traditional systems of preservation, conservation, and commemoration. Located in Indigenous communities, these contested spaces offer a valuable opportunity to engage with the past.

This work examines the legacy of the IRSS through the lens of government policies, institutional practices, and survivor experiences, focusing on the role of architecture as an instrument of total control. Engaging with theories of authorized heritage discourse, memory, and the built environment, it explores the complex history embedded in the former school buildings. Furthermore, the research investigates the potential these sites have in facilitating a dialogue that moves toward reconciliation and reshaping the narrative of Canada’s colonial history.