Center and periphery are two different urban concepts. In the central location, the paths of human communication condense, and their destinations become visible in the architecture of the city. In the periphery, meanwhile, there is a widespread wasteland that leaves open where a path might lead to its destination.

Using historical examples, the research field explores the peculiar relationship between center and periphery, with which both concepts can conditionally open an architectural dialogue, between orientation of the periphery towards the landscape and the sense of urban centers.

The individual themes describe various historical aspects of the dispersed periphery, from the beginning of the rural exodus in the 18th century to current forms of settlement construction, which will be analyzed concretely in the context of the arterial roads of the city of Aachen.

A theoretical introduction to the geometric properties of centrality and periphery is the prerequisite for a practical experiment that will be carried out with the construction of an installation in the immediate vicinity of the Hambach open-cast coal mine in Morschenich as part of the Temporary University Hambach during the pop-up week from June 17 to 25, 2023.