German Architecture

Swiss practice Herzog & de Meuron have released revised plans for the Museum of the 20th Century project in Berlin's Cultural Forum. Designed to house the extensive National Gallery on 20th century art collection, the project was made in partnership with the Berlin State Museums and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. Herzog & de Meuron originally won the competition to design the museum building in 2016, and the revised design features new plans and a facade that opens the building to the outside.

David Chipperfield and Euroboden have collaborated on the design of a five-story building in Munich, located near the city’s Herzog Park. The 2800-square-meter scheme seeks to “fit sensitively into the historic fabric of the neighborhood.”

In the next chapter of his ongoing Urban Geometry project, self-taught Spanish photographer Andres Gallardo captures the elements of color, form, and materiality of post-war architecture in Berlin. This photo series, with installments featuring the modern marvels of Beijing, Seoul, Copenhagen, and Tallinn, among other cities, has become representative of Gallardo's personal growth from his humble start in his career as a professional photographer.

Artist David Louf, aka Mr. June, has earned a reputation for creating striking urban art, most recently using three-dimensional murals that play off architectural elements. As Colossal reports, within the last year Mr. June's geometric abstractions have become increasingly architectural as they aim to challenge viewer’s perceptions. Producing work since 1985, Mr. June recently completed a 130-foot diameter dome in North Carolina and a 3D mural for Urban Nation in Berlin.

Caruso St John has won an international competition for a new headquarters for German publishing giant Gruner + Jahr in Hamburg. The winning scheme, chosen over RIBA Gold Medal winners O’Donnell + Tuomey, and Berlin-based ROBERTNUEN Architekten, features “striking green-enameled ceramic struts and three partially covered interior courtyards.”

Matthias Jung's "Houses" series depicts finely stitched architectural facades against the picturesque landscapes of Northern Germany to create surreal architecture. Commencing as a childhood pastime in his father's photo lab, his passion for collaging has evolved into his career as a designer and artist.

A team of architecture students at the CODE department of the TU Berlin have built PLUG-IN, a pavilion addressing the Home not Shelter! Initiative. Built as a collaborative process between students and refugees, the pavilion was realized under the direction of Prof. Ralf Pasel and his team. PLUG-IN physically expands the living space to creates a responsive project that goes beyond housing needs. The project was specifically proposed and built for the Dutch Embassy in Berlin.

The project Cyber Physical Macro Materials was developed at the University of Stuttgart's Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD) to demonstrate a tangible vision of a new dynamic (and intelligent) architecture for public spaces. The agile and reconfigurable canopy is enabled by a combination of distributed robotic construction and programmable matter. Reconfigured using drones, the canopy was created with modular components that could respond in real-time to the climate or sun angles.

When the Greeks carved stone steps into the side of a hill, they were aiming to create a seated area for people to rest and from which to have an excellent view of the stage at the amphitheater's center. over two millennia later, these objectives are still key to stadium design principles, however, with an ever-increasing global reach and the need for multiple functions, the goal posts for what makes a successful arena are always being moved. As you prepare to watch the 2018 World Cup hosted in Russia, take a look at this list of notable stadium designs in World Cup history which have influenced the evolution of stadium design.

As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage, we present the completed German Pavilion. To read the initial proposal, refer to our previously published post, “'Unbuilding Walls': German Pavilion at 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale to Probe Architecture of Division and Integration.”