Long-lasting and attractive The task of remodeling and extending existing buildings is just as appealing as it is difficult. Frankfurt-based architects Schneider+Schumacher are currently working on reconstructing Poseidon House on Theodor-Heuss-Allee. Thomas Wagner spoke to Michael Schumacher about the rebuild, facades old and new, saving energy and the sustainability of “refurbishment and upgrading”.

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Smart shells Facades have long since outgrown their functions as mere outer shells for the buildings inside. For quite some time now they have been fulfilling a new function as energy suppliers. Sandra Gottwald spoke to Tina Wolf, architect and professor in the teaching and research unit for Technology and Design of Shell Constructions at Technische Universität München, about the challenges and developments in solar-optimized facades.

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Phenomenology of viewing Once upon a time Karl Friedrich Schinkel was commissioned to reshape the urban design of central Berlin. And today countless buildings in Berlin and Potsdam bring him to mind, such as Alte Museum am Lustgarten. Photographer Gerrit Engels has documented them quite soberly.

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Lisbon’s small polished stones That façades are more than mere functional structural components becomes abundantly clear when wandering through the streets of Lisbon. Thanks to the characteristic “azulejos”, the buildings’ countenances are just as colorful as the history of the city itself.

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Made by the hands of community Close to Bödigheim in the Odenwald, the dedication of a group of volunteers has resulted in the realization of a field chapel. A regional architectural firm, twelve students from Chicago and local craftsmen joined forces to complete the wooden construction.

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As though I were the star of my own celebrity culture He produces portraits of himself as a cowboy and recreated industrial objects using clay. Jon Smith studied at the Institute of Contemporary and Interdisciplinary Art in the English city of Bath and now lives as an independent artist in the Netherlands. Nina Reetzke met him for a chat.

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Anonymous, reduced and good to have Japanese designer Nendo adheres to the following principle in his design: giving people a small “!” moment and a little surprise. One of his latest projects is the “K%” label, which brings brands such as “Muji”, “Plusminuszero” and “1%” to mind.

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A lot of nature in a small space Enveloped in the seclusion of Sweden’s west coast, Torsten Ottesjö’s new building "Hus-1" boasts curved contours and a squamous façade, its silhouette blending in like a natural part of the encompassing landscape.

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Prouvé in context The Lorraine city of Nancy is not just the city of Baroque and Art Nouveau, but the birthplace of Jean Prouvé too. And now the city is celebrating this relation with a series of exhibitions and showings.

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Mirror, mirror on the floor “Your glacial expectations” is the title chosen for a reflective installation that artist Olafur Eliasson realized together with landscape architect Günter Vogt for the outdoor area of the Kvadrat headquarters in the Danish town of Ebeltoft.

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The beauty in brass grommets What is jewelry? Surely it is much more than something made of silver or gold. For quite some time now, jewelry designers have been experimenting with traditional forms and new concepts. And theorists are also thinking more and more about the kinds of jewelry we wear today.

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Shifting spaces It was the billowing curtains at Venice’s Piazza San Marco that provided the inspiration for the temporary art installation “Replika” by Ayzit Bostan and Gerhardt Kellermann – currently on show in Munich’s Hofgarten.

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A table,
a chair,
an apple tree ACE has now presented its second collection. The products are all made of ash wood and are certainly eye-catching with their clear, concise lines. Reduction is the determining factor for the entire concept at the young Swiss label.

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Concrete wastelands Can you even “design” parking lots? In the USA, where there is more paved space for parking cars than anywhere else in the world, the calls to take these “lost spaces” more seriously in their role as public spaces are growing louder and louder.

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