Sauerbruch Hutton Architekten, Berlin
The exhibition shows 11 building projects of which six have been realised and another five are in various stages of design and construction. In addition to the GSW headquarters, the Photonics Centre, the Zumtobel Light Centre, the Federal Environment Agency in Dessau and other German projects, three London apartment buildings are also on display. The exhibition links the individual projects in thematic arcs, whereby the recurring use of colour as a spatial element and the exciting play of architectural space between 2 and 3-dimensionality is also the subject of a room installation specially developed for the gallery. As a special exhibition medium, the built projects are presented by means of stereoscopic tables; a colour installation draws the S-Bahn arches of the gallery and the table objects together to form a spatial composition.
sauerbruch hutton architects was founded in 1989 by Louisa Hutton and Matthias Sauerbruch in London. The competition success for the GSW headquarters in 1991 was the impetus for a second office to be founded in Berlin in 1993. While the Berlin office's construction projects are strongly concerned with questions of the post-industrial city, especially with the situation of the reunified Berlin, numerous smaller projects were created in London, mostly private residential buildings in the historic substance of the city. These different experiences lead to an architecture that combines the objective of sustainable urban development with the effort to create a sensually stimulating environment. Economical use of urban and building resources is combined with rich materials, textures, colours and physical forms.
The partnership, which has been expanded for a year now to include junior partners Jens Ludloff, Lucas Young and Brian Lilley, has already received numerous national and international architecture prizes for its work (Schelling Prize 1998, AIA Award 1996, RIBA Award 1999, German Architecture Prize 1999, German Concrete Prize 1999, etc.)
Speaking at the exhibition opening
Kristin Feireiss Berlin/Rotterdam
Marco De Michelis Venice
