In cooperation with the TU Darmstadt and the Goethe University Frankfurt, the HfG Archive Ulm is presenting a new exhibition that focuses for the first time on the teaching of architecture in Ulm. The exhibition “Programmed Hope” presents numerous architectural models, dozens of original blueprints, drawings, photographs and other materials. The exhibits are drawn exclusively from the holdings of the HfG Archiv/Museum Ulm and are on public display for the first time.

The HfG Ulm: Hub of ‘Industrialised Building’

Founded in 1953 as the successor to the legendary Bauhaus, the HfG Ulm set itself the goal of not only setting design standards, but also actively shaping social and technological developments. Building on the Bauhaus tradition, the architecture department under the direction of Konrad Wachsmann and Herbert Ohl developed into a hotspot for ‘industrialised building’.

Interdisciplinary Approach and Visionary Teaching Concepts

The teaching programme was shaped by leading figures in architecture, including Richard Buckminster Fuller, Ray and Charles Eames, Frei Otto and Yona Friedman, as well as pioneers in the humanities, natural sciences and engineering. Disciplines such as cybernetics, mathematical operations analysis and philosophy of science – represented by greats such as Norbert Wiener, Max Bense and Horst Rittel – became integral parts of the interdisciplinary education.  The aim was to develop architecture – as a kind of ‘programmed hope’ – in a scientific, interdisciplinary and socially responsible way. 

This environment inspired the students to undertake unusual architectural experiments. Whether modular building structures, automated shopping complexes or innovative load-bearing structures – the projects combined technical precision with remarkable theoretical depth. Many of these works reveal early approaches to algorithmic design that now seem more relevant than ever.