Every 15 minutes, a wave of signals travels from one house to the next. Data piles up, waiting to become stories, buildings venture predictions, neighbors exchange strategies and energy—the city speaks. Using thermal heat pumps, photovoltaics, smart home terminals, and the latest sensor technology, Aspern is a testing ground for the city of the future. What intentions do the buildings follow, and who gets to decide on the parameters that are used for optimization? What is the role of the users? Can a house learn from its inhabitants?

Inspired by Nestroy’s farce The House Of Temperaments, in which four families with different temperaments inhabit an old Viennese house, the stage play City of Temperaments tells the story of four smart buildings and how their different characters create synergies and dependencies as they interact with their inhabitants and negotiate energy distribution.

In the course of the VIENNA BIENNALE 2019 and in collaboration with Wien 3420 aspern Development AG, designers Johanna Pichlbauer and Mia Meusburger created a play that playfully looks for new forms of interaction between citizens and their smart surroundings.

Designers
Johanna Pichlbauer
Mia Meusburger

Curator
Marlies Wirth, Curator, Digital Culture and MAK Design Collection