This year, the Access City Award competition includes a special mention on the New European Bauhaus. What does it mean to align work on accessibility with the values and principles of the New European Bauhaus?  Examples of projects bringing together accessibility and the New European Bauhaus include: the Aalborg East project in Denmark and the Multisensory Museum in the Netherlands.

Aalborg East was an isolated and deprived residential area in Denmark’s fourth largest city. A strategy was put in place to revitalise the area and make it more accessible. As a result, homes were renovated, new shops were added, private homes were built, and a number of social initiatives were adopted. A unique element of this project was that residents sat at the table as urban planners. This led to no homes being demolished, no residents were displaced, and up to 60% of homes have been converted to accessible homes.

The Multisensory Museum brings a twist to the museum visiting experience by putting architecture as the expression of inclusion and dialogue. Through a co-design methodology, persons with disabilities and architects worked together in a creative endeavour culminating in a museum that draws in visitors through all their senses.