EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL
B ETWEEN CRISIS AND CONFIDENCE

NEW TRENDS IN
ARCHITECTURE IN GERMANY
We’ve never had so much variety. At no other time has there been such a

broad and heterogeneous field of strategies and current positions on

architecture. Nowadays, even experts find it difficult to keep track:

rationalism and minimalism, blob and box, various regionalisms and

traditionalisms – architecture currently fluctuates somewhere between a

putative anything goes and a restrictive state of the art.

By Professor Dr. Johannes Busmann

I
ncreasing pluralization of
lifestyles, new technological
options, and the search for
identity in the face of globaliza-
tion with its tendencies towards
cultural transformation have led
to the creation of a bewildering
variety of architectural concepts.
This means that the contempo-
rary image of architecture in
Germany is characterized by a
condensed intermeshing of con-
flicting styles. With a back-
ground of increasingly complex
technological and economic con-
ditions, the situation for German
architects is already difficult
enough. The situation in the
building sector is only improving
gradually after a long period of
recession. Planning orders are
declining, but the complexity of
the remaining building jobs is
increasing. A considerable over-
supply of architects makes the
search for jobs even more diffi-
cult. Additionally, the fee struc-
ture for architects and engineers
is being seriously questioned.
This means that increasing
numbers of architects are seeking
to expand their range of activi-
ties and shift the emphasis of
their work. The result is that
some traditional areas of work
are being replaced by new ser-
vices from related market seg-
ments or that completely new
areas of activity are opening up.
Changing needs
In response to the difficult situa-
tion architects are experiencing
in regard to winning commis-
sions, experts recommend
emphasizing the service aspects
combined with a drastic demo-
graphic transformation, make it
increasingly difficult to localize
current requirements and trans-
late them into contemporary
architecture. In the area of habi-
tation, for example, it looks like
there is a paradigm change in
terms of needs; and a transfor-
mation in quality requirements
has been under way for several
years. Recent studies of people’s
reasons for choosing an apart-
ment still confirm many tradi-
tional beliefs, but they also show
that the living environment, the
atmosphere of the building,
various usage options and energy-
related aspects are also gaining
importance.
New forms of living together
A competition seeking a future-
oriented living model for a resi-
dential area in Munich was orga-
nized by the Deutscher
PHOTO: REIMHARD GOERNER/ARTUR

and responding more decisively Werkbund this April. Unlike the

to the contemporary require- ‘House of the Present’ competi-
PHOTO: SITECO

The Allianz Arena in Munich
designed by Herzog & Meuron.
ments of the market and users.
But what are these needs? The
fundamental change in lifestyle
and the business world in a time
of increasing individualization,
tion (see next page), the
Deutscher Werkbund competi-
tion was not based around family
life in the suburbs, but around
urban accommodation that fits >>

The Philologische Bibliothek der Freien Universität >

78 GERMANY REAL ESTATE YEARBOOK 2007
in Berlin, designed by Norman Foster.
EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL
Strategies for difference
PHOTO: FLORIAN HOLZHERR MÜNCHEN/ALLMAN SATTLER WAPPNER ARCHITECTEN
Future scenarios such as the two
apartment construction projects

PHOTO: MYRZIK + JARISCH FOTOGRAFEN PHOTO: HAUS DER GEGENHART

HOUSE OF THE PRESENT
In 2001, the magazine supplement of the
in Munich highlight initial indi-
cators that could have very posi-
tive consequences for new areas
of activity for architects. But
although confidence amongst
architects is slowly growing
again, according to a recent
survey by the Institute for
Economic Research many still
feel a great deal of uncertainty
about their future job descrip-
tion. This doesn’t cause
resignation, but more often than
not it leads to the development
of completely different creative
approaches. In recent years,
strategies for difference have
Allmann Sattler Wappner and presented during last been a common reaction to the

PHOTO: JENS WEBER

Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper made one of the year’s German Federal Garden Show. The rather increasingly difficult situation.
few attempts to find suitable contemporary archi- minimalist building was described as a “new type Faced with a lack of construction
tecture for current heterogeneous needs. Using the of flexible, configurable home”, equipped with the orders, a younger German archi-
title ‘House of the Present’, the paper invited latest software technology. All technical operations tectural scene has dedicated itself
famous architects, both domestic and international, in the house can be controlled centrally using a to self-imposed themes, imple- The winning project of the German Work Federation competition in Munich
to take part in an architectural competition. The remote control and configured according to the resi- mented in different projects outside designed by Kazunari Sakamoto.
goal was a residential home in the suburbs of a dents’ preferences. The spatial structure of the one- institutional structures – from
large central European city for four people, meeting family house also reflects new user requirements media facades to removable houses from the mainstream and at the the Berlin Hotel, Q), alternate
modern requirements in terms of function, materi- (i.e. the desire for greater proximity to nature) with and temporary usage. same time meet the growing between interior architecture and
als and comfort. The winning design was a residen- its blurred transitions between private and public, In symposia, exhibitions and publi- need from the market for incisive design and regularly appear in
tial house designed by Munich-based architect house and garden. cations, the economic and political images. Faced with globalization architecture and lifestyle maga-
backgrounds to architecture have and its tendencies towards zines, thanks to their sculptural-
been debated and made public. homogenization, many younger emblematic character.
today’s lifestyle. It was intended compactness, thereby meeting projects described also indicate architects currently feel the chal-
to provide new perspectives for a different needs. The concept pro- a comprehensive change in resi- This flight to theoretical posi- lenge to focus their compositions Ecology as a design factor
sustainable, dynamically mixed motes intimacy, communication dential construction or individual tions and temporary architectural on creating unique and recogniz- To avoid the latent threat of arbi-
(in terms of age and social struc- and meetings. initiatives that remain within con- concepts brings about different able forms. This is making trary design, technology also often
tures) area for the 21st century. The enthusiastic response both to ventional fields of architecture. design approaches that stand out aspects such as identity and indi- plays an important role for many
The winning design from the ‘House of the Present’ as viduality increasingly important. contemporary architects. A well-
Japanese architect Kazunari well as the Deutscher Werkbund Offices such as Berlin-based developed awareness of today’s
Sakamoto was selected to be competition indicates the architectural trio, Graft, favor requirements for sustainable con-

PHOTO: HIEPLER BRILNIER ARCHITEKTUURFOTOGRAFIE

implemented at the beginning of reawakened interest among idiosyncratic and sometimes struction leads to an ecologi-
April 2006. It contrasts classic architects in the previously rather contradictory designs that are cally-oriented understanding of
residential designs and lines (e.g. neglected area of residential also extremely marketable. In construction and technology –
block & courtyard construction) apartment construction. At the keeping with the new self-image beyond traditional concepts of
with a completely open spatial same time, it is indicative of the of many architects, the Graft trio ‘ecological building’, but opposed
structure with free-standing indi- current search for new ways of see themselves as border cross- to the high-tech architecture of
vidual houses. The blocks, with a living together and a new urban ers, who do not restrict them- the 1970s. Technology is not on
total of 400 apartments, form an attitude that needs to express selves to a single discipline but display here, but subtly inte-
ensemble that is permeable from itself equally through buildings instead remain open to very dif- grated into the design in order to
all sides, characterized equally and social structures. It remains ferent ideas. Their hybrids and optimize the architecture’s eco-
by individuality and to be seen, however, whether the Architectural office Graft designed the Hotel Q located in Berlin. dynamic space landscapes (e.g. logical and energy specifications. >>

80 GERMANY REAL ESTATE YEARBOOK 2007 GERMANY REAL ESTATE YEARBOOK 2007 81
EDITORIAL

building owners from the build-
ing process. Because of their
exemplary function, publicly
funded building projects are sup-
posed to adhere more strictly to
quality standards. “Public
authorities must always apply the
standards of building culture to
themselves first,” stated Federal
Construction Minister Wolfgang
Tiefensee at last year’s awarding
of the German Architecture Prize.
Apart from prestige projects like
the Federal Environment Agency,
however, the reality is often very
different. To save on costs, many
local authorities decide to assign
EDITORIAL
requirements. The extremely
emblematic basic form of the
new administration building rep-
resents a ‘Y’ shape made up of
three mutually bracing wings
that give the building a dynamic
appearance and simultaneously
create an image of arms that are
outstretched in welcome.
Projects such as the administration
building designed by Eike
Becker_Architekten stand out
from the mass of new construction
projects because they point in new
directions and stimulate discus-
sion. In concrete terms, it is the

PHOTO: EIKE BECKER_ARCHITEKTEN

The municipal authorities of Neuss opted for a high value architectural building instead of a cheap solution.
Buildings such as the recently
completed Capricorn-Haus in the
Düsseldorf Medienhafen, created
by the Cologne-based office of
Gatermann + Schossig, or the
Federal Environment Agency
building in Dessau, designed
by Berlin-based Matthias
Sauerbruch and Louisa Hutton,
represent a new generation of
sustainable buildings. An
‘i-modular facade’ was devel-
oped for the exterior cladding of
Capricorn house. It combined the
media provision, air supply and
ventilation, heat recovery, sun
protection and light regulation in
a very flat, 20 cm-thick panel
that was flexible to install. The
window panels, with over 800
activation in combination with
geothermic utilization, as well as
natural ventilation concepts,
meet the requirements for an
ecological, energy-balanced
building concept. The Federal
Environment Agency building
completed in Dessau in 2005
was planned from the very
beginning as a pilot project for a
modern, ecological building.
From a geo-heat exchange system
new construction projects to the balancing of representation and
cheapest provider – and this is dimensions, of dynamic and sym-
reflected in the results. Projects bolic form, that leads to the cre-
such as the municipal utility ation of special solutions and that
administration building in Neuss should encourage emulation. This
(still under construction), remain is because this solution is not the
the exception. The municipal result of cost cutting and compro-
authorities rejected an inexpen- mises, but of a dedicated architec-
sive 08/15 solution for the con- tural approach. This makes it pos-
to the landfill gas system, from On the way to a new building struction of a new administration sible for the administration
photovoltaic mats to solar collec- culture? building and opted instead for an building in Neuss to become
tors and rain water processing, Outstanding buildings such as economically and architecturally almost a reference point for a
the whole range of ecological the Federal Environment Agency high-value building. In keeping building culture that should be able
construction techniques was used cannot, however, conceal the with the modern business image to develop beyond spectacular
for this building – which accom- frightening irrelevance of many for the commissioning party and prestige projects: in good, every-
modates 800 employees. The new buildings in Germany. Poor for its role as a municipal energy day building. The founding of the
whole thing is hidden behind a knowledge of architectural provider, Berlin-based office Foundation for Building
living facade of colored glass quality and the lack of well- Eike Becker_Architekten devel- Culture is now planned for 2007,
and wood elements that meander founded planning have been oped a design that was both rep- as announced by the Federal
across former industrial waste- much lamented since before the resentative and functional, and Minister for Building at this year’s
land. efforts for the establishment of a which also met modern energy ‘Day of Architecture’. >>
nationwide Foundation for
Building Culture. This unsatis-
factory situation is attributed,
among other things, to the lack
of planning quality: according to
the latest figures, only 35% of
construction in Germany is
designed by trained architects,
PHOTO: GATERMANN+SCHOSSIG

PHOTO: CHRISTIAN RICHTERS

identical facade modules in
bright red that change from floor
to floor, were prefabricated and
assembled on-site. The compact
construction, exemplary heat
insulation, ventilation systems
with heat recovery, concrete core
and less than half of these
projects were fully designed –
something which is vital for
correct planning. This inadequate
planning culture is blamed on
several causes, including the
The Capricorn Haus in Düsseldorf, an example of sustainable construction. extensive withdrawal of public The Federal Environment Agency building designed by Sauerbruch & Hutton.

82 GERMANY REAL ESTATE YEARBOOK 2007 GERMANY REAL ESTATE YEARBOOK 2007 83
 EDITORIAL
LR
The Peek & Cloppenburg Weltstadthaus (Renzo Piano) in Cologne was developed to improve the company’s image.
Corporate architecture with
responsibility
It’s not just initiatives like the
Foundation for Building Culture
that are responding to the
increasing public interest in
architectural themes (reflected
by factors such as increasing
numbers of visitors to events
such as the ‘Day of Architecture’
or architecture-related exhibi-
tions). In response to the
increased public interest in archi-
tecture, companies are also
increasingly looking to this area
for attractive ways of promoting
their image. Companies such as
the Hamburg-based fashion shop
chain Peek & Cloppenburg have
long been using architecture as a
marketing factor to improve their
image and acquire customers.
Since the branch designed by
RKW was opened in Frankfurt in
1988, cooperation with famous
architects’ offices have become a
staple concept at Peek &
Cloppenburg. What is notewor-
thy about P&C’s Cologne
Dependance, which opened in
2005, is not so much the coop-
eration with a prominent archi-
84 GERMANY REAL ESTATE YEARBOOK 2007
tect – in this case Italian-born
Renzo Piano – but rather the new
sensitivity and enormous expen-
ditures in positioning the depart-
ment store amidst existing struc-
tures. At a location between
Cologne’s Schildergasse and the
tunnel entrance to a major city
traffic axis, the edifice draws on
the buildings within its environ-
ment, connecting a lively shop-
ping mile and a busy traffic
artery while also creating new
spaces within the city. With this
intervention in urban space,
which considerably improves a
previously inhospitable location
and which could act as an
impulse for further developments
in the area, the new P&C branch
differentiates itself from other
corporate architectural designs.
This is because the unusual plug-
ging of a gap in the city’s struc-
ture means that the builder has
shown a level of urban responsi-
bility that is often absent from
many inner-city commercial con-
struction projects. In the cathe-
dral city of Cologne, where a
search for a cultural building
identity has brought new orders
PHOTO: ANDREAS FECHNER
to a lot of prominent architects,
this building could become the
standard for future develop-
ments.
New work and brand
environments
The fact that spectacular architec-
ture increases the fame and the
market presence of a company is
now a well-known concept
thanks to the commitment of
Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid to
the furniture manufacturer
The spectacular nature of the Vitra Museum,
positively affects the company’s image.
The Five Boats at the inland port, Duisburg, designed by Nicolas Grimshaw and developed by Kölbl Kruse GmbH.
Vitra based in Weil am Rhein. that this strategic marketing
Furthermore, it is currently formula is extremely successful.
German automobile manufactur- The Central Building, designed
ers who are outbidding each by Zaha Hadid, contains 740
other with spectacular building workspaces over an area of
projects. In the face of an acute 26,000 m2, covering all planning
location crisis, companies are and administrative functions of
increasingly turning to strong, the Leipzig-based BMW plant.
image-rich architecture as a When well-known architects
means of forming a company such as the Pritzker prize-winner
identity. A glance at how the new Hadid plan buildings for indus-
BMW Central Building in trial corporations, financial
Leipzig has been received, and figures take a backseat. Her
not just in the trade press, shows terrace-shaped space continuum
has triggered talk of an “office
revolution” and of the “social-
utopian character” of the build-
ing. With its non-territorial,
openly structured workspaces
and the social networking of all
function areas, the Leipzig plant
really does seem like the proto-
type for a future world of work.
But despite the purely functional
design parameters, strictly ori-
PHOTO: THOMAS DIX/VITRA
ented towards the technical pro-
cesses of automobile construc-
tion that are constantly being
emphasized by the plant manage-
ment, construction jobs of this
in Weil am Rhein, designed by Frank Gehry, kind have long entailed more
than just the provision of a suit-
GERMANY REAL ESTATE YEARBOOK 2007
EDITORIAL
PHOTO: KÖLBL KRUSE
ably functional shell. Just like
other automobile companies
before them (e.g. Volkswagen
with its Autostadt and glass-
encased factory), BMW is identi-
fying itself with innovation and,
in the case of Leipzig, with the
artistic aura of architecture. In
the specific staging and symbolic
upgrading of automobile produc-
tion, the building itself becomes
a typological emblem of adver-
tising.
Today, nothing seems to provide
the automobile industry with a
better stage for product advertis-
ing and corporate image promo-
tion than modern architecture.
Avant-garde designs involving
image-creating elements of
company strategy are not only
intended to transfer value mis-
sions, but they also stand for
innovative thinking and the mas-
tering of complex technologies.
In this context, it is not surpris-
ing that recent projects of auto-
mobile companies first consider
architects whose designs were
thought to be impossible to
implement just a few years ago >>
85
EDITORIAL
PHOTO: ISOCHROM.COM, VIENNA
BMW-Welt in Munich, a ‘sensational’ building by BMW AG designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au.
due to their complexity. Whether
it is Zaha Hadid’s Leipzig
Central Building or her Science
Center in Wolfsburg, Ben van
Berkel’s Stuttgart Mercedes
museum and Porsche museum by
Delugan Meissl or the BMW
World building in Munich by
Coop Himmelb(l)au – all are
carefully staged in order to provide
the greatest possible sensation.
Quality as difference
A conspicuous aspect of this list
is not only the strong connection
of automobile companies to the
avant-garde designs of star archi-
tects, but also the complete
absence of German architect
offices from these projects. It is
difficult to find a German name
amongst the Who’s Who of inter-
nationally active, notable archi-
tects. Although Germany has the
largest construction volume and
the most architects in Europe, it
imports the avant-garde from
Britain, the Netherlands,
PHOTO: ZAHA HADID
Switzerland or Austria. The
designs of world stars such as
Swiss-based architects Herzog &
de Meuron are used wherever
< The BMW building in Leipzig designed by Zaha Hadid.
companies are looking to archi-
tecture for incisive branding or
when city marketers want to use
architecture as their main
medium – whether in Munich
with the Allianz Arena or in
Hamburg with the planned
Elbphilharmonie concert build-
ing. The main quality is extrava-
gance and spectacle. It seems as
though German architects are not
expected to be able to meet these
requirements.
New sensational projects such as
the conversion of the Berlin
Olympic Stadium taken on by
the Hamburg-based architects of
Gerkan Marg und Partner (gmp)
or the Berlin main train station
designed by the same office, are
admired mainly for their preci-
sion and engineering finesse – in
keeping with the international
perception of German building.
Initiatives such as the
Architecture Export Network,
founded in 2002 by the Federal
Chamber of Architects, empha-
size these specific qualities in
order to better promote German
planning and construction ser-
vices internationally. The range
GERMANY REAL ESTATE YEARBOOK 2007
EDITORIAL
of services extends from urban
planning – examples are the
current master plans for entire
cities as from Albert Speer und
gmp in China – to ecological and
technical know-how and the
ability to fully review projects
and develop integral concepts.
In times of increasing variety in
architectural concepts and strate-
gies, precisely these qualities
could be a crucial decision-
making factor and a differentiat-
ing criterion for success. <<
About the author:
Johannes Busmann
Dr. Johannes Busmann
is professor for media
design at the University
of Wuppertal and owner
of the publishing house
Müller+Busmann KG in
Wuppertal. At this
publishing house,
specialized in architecture and real estate,
Dr Johannes Busmann is the publisher of
the architecture magazine ‘build Das
Architekten-Magazin’ and of the city
building magazine ‘polis’.
87