A student in a wheelchair is looking for ideas for a barrier-free main entrance to the university

Just a back door is no longer enough. The issue of accessibility has been hidden for too long anyway. Now Philippe Morling – who has been in a wheelchair for more than ten years due to a genetic mutation – wants to enter the Academy of Fine Arts building through the main entrance. He is launching a competition looking for the best proposal for a barrier-free entrance.

Steep road

This is not the first action taken by an art student in this regard. In the 2022 show, Morling lifted himself out of his wheelchair and pulled himself up the 14 steep steps at the academy's main entrance.

The protest was successful: the university commissioned a study which concluded that an elevator inside the building was the “most sustainable solution”. This must also be compatible with the protection of memorials. The university announced last fall that discussions about funding were continuing.

But nothing has happened since then. The university says it continues to work on models for how to finance mid-six-figure project costs. “However, it has been shown that variants cannot currently be implemented due to high costs.”

Anyone interested can participate

This is not enough for Philip Morling. So he's launching his own competition to collect ideas for a barrier-free main entrance. Slogan: “How can the main entrance be unobstructed without creating false interest that stigmatizes visitors?” Anyone interested can now submit their projects via Instagram. The jury will then decide which project is most suitable. “With our ideas, we force the academy to find a solution,” Morling says.

The art student received help from the IG Architektur association to implement the competition. Architect Alexandre Demme will be available to answer questions regarding the architectural and structural measures, he explains. Together we seek to “build an artistic culture and vision” that represents inclusivity. Diem does not currently believe that protecting the memorials could cause problems.

Crowdfunding

It is still unclear exactly when the competition will end. “We want to present the winning project at the academy's open day in January,” says Morling. There will then be crowdfunding so you can finance the project.

Whether it can actually be implemented – if financing is truly structured – remains an open question. “We cannot guarantee the competition prize promised by Philip Morling,” says the University of the Arts.

The university welcomes competition

However, competition is welcome. “The technical procedure is very appropriate to draw attention to the problem.” This makes the university optimistic that inclusion and accessibility will increasingly be discussed in public spaces and implemented more than before.