For more than a century, the letters IBA have stood for “Internationale Bauausstellung” (international building exhibition). Not perhaps a strictly accurate title. Because an IBA is far more than an exhibition in the conventional sense. It’s not just about showing buildings. It’s about real-time research and development. Like a laboratory. Except that the laboratory is in fact an entire district in the city and research leads to actual built space. The chosen sites for IBA Hamburg are the Elbe islands between HafenCity and Harburg.

Its research remit – in common with that of the eight IBAs before – to develop the city of the future. Where are we headed, how and where will we live, work and learn 20 years on?  How will we solve major problems like climate change? Hamburg has a seven-year research and development project. And everyone is welcome to participate. From the IBA inaugural year 2007, to the halfway presentation in 2010, when IBA invites people to “look at the building sites”, to the grand finale in 2013, the closing act that will present all the projects realized.