Kiel architect shows women's power: WIA Festival 2025 starts!

Kiel architect shows women's power: WIA Festival 2025 starts!

Alice Kriegel, an architect with deep roots, sits in the foyer of the Kiel University High-rise, where the history and future of architecture meet. Dressed casually, with her gray hair tied in a practical braid and a cloth bag at her side, she prepares for the interview. Your concern? Making the role of historical women in architecture visible, who have significantly shaped the cityscape of Kiel. Ellen Krotz, the architect who built the university high-rise, particularly stands out. “Women have a voice and should be heard,” says Kriegel, who is also considered the granddaughter of the well-known architect Wilhelm Neveling, who continues to shape the reconstruction of Kiel after the Second World War to this day. Neveling's buildings, including the Howe House and the Ostseehalle, are formative elements of the city's history.

Kriegel is not only committed to historical reappraisal, but also actively participated in shaping the architectural future. She organizes the “Women in Architecture Festival 2025” (WIA) in Germany, which takes place from June 19th to 29th. It is the first nationwide festival to highlight the achievements of women in architecture and building culture. The program includes exhibitions and events that cover all aspects of architecture and are also intended to initiate dialogue about diversity. “We want to make role models visible,” says Kriegel, as she prepares for the planned events, including “Women build! – Architects in Schleswig-Holstein”. Their goal is clear: the industry is diverse, but access for women is often blocked.

Statistical discrepancy

The numbers prove it: Over 50% of architecture students are women, but only around 6% of architectural offices are run by women. This highlights a disproportion that Kriegel wants to address together with her colleagues. The majority of female architects, almost 80%, feel forced to work in administrative positions that are more compatible with family life. “There are many talented women who cannot gain a foothold in the industry for a variety of reasons,” notes Kriegel. Although the challenges are great, she has managed to balance family and work. Together with her husband, she runs an architectural office that takes part in international competitions and has already won prizes.

Kriegel lives between Kiel and Chicago, which opens up a variety of perspectives for her. She also draws personal inspiration from her grandfather's drawings and paintings. Her doctorate is about Neveling and his works, which she discovered while studying architecture in Berlin, especially the Auditorium Maximum, which remains vivid in her memory.

A strong festival for strong women

The WIA Festival, which starts on June 19th in Bremen, not only marks the start of a special event, but also creates a platform on which women from different facets of architecture can present themselves. The opening event will welcome prominent guests such as the Senator for Construction, Mobility and Urban Development in the State of Bremen, Özlem Ünsal, and Maja Fischer-Benzenberg from the Bremen Chamber of Architects. The evening will be characterized by panel discussions, including on the topic “Role Models – Female Managers for Building Culture”.

And a lot is also happening at the international level: The book “Women in Architecture. Reviews, Positions, Outlook” deals with female pioneers and addresses challenges such as sexism and prejudice in the architecture industry. Editor Ursula Schwitalla has been campaigning for equality in architecture for many years, and not without reason - history shows that for a long time women were barely visible in architecture.

The WIA Festival will not only be a highlight for architecture, but also an important step towards greater visibility and recognition of women in this exciting industry. Further information about the festival and the entire program can be found on the website WIA Festival.