Few architectural firms understand contemporary Berlin as well as David Chipperfield Architects. After their strikingly sensitive and highly acclaimed refurbishment of the Neues Museum earlier this year, along with the building of a very beautiful private gallery building opposite, Chipperfield pretty much walks on water as far as Berliners are concerned.
Now, with project architect Markus Bauer, the practice has completed a new townhouse on a thin sliver of land a few hundred metres away – part of a project to bring back variety and density to parts of the historic centre. The Townhouse O-10 is utterly reduced, modern and minimal: white walls, smooth beech floors and a good use of vertical and horizontal planes to make the play of light from the huge, grey-framed windows particularly interesting.
As with the Neues Museum, there are historical references here, predominantly to the smaller buildings of the great German modernist architects that are dotted around the city, but they are not overpowering. Berlin is all about layers and the harmony of contrasts. Chipperfield gets this completely.
Read the Article: Bullerei restaurant and cafe, Hamburg Some of Elmar Lause’s street art decked seating areas at the open plan dining Bullerei eatery in Hamburg. Bullerei’s informal decor comes courtesy of interior designer, Kathrin Bade and architect, Giorgio Gullota.
Located in a former cattle hall, Bullerei offers both a deli, cafe and restaurant. Communal eating is encouraged by outsized dining tables.
Read the Article: Crooma photographic gallery, Munich. The blanched ’Wide Hall’ at Crooma, Munich
Read the Article: Currywurst Museum, Berlin The brightly coloured surorunds of Berlin’s first ever Currywurst museum. Dedicated entirely to every Berliner-in-the-know’s favourite snack, the museum pinpoints every Currywurst stall in the city. Sample the myriad spices that make their way into the Currywurst’s secret sauce
Chips and curry sause are essential addition to any good Currywurst, as is demonstrated here by the museum’s giant versions
Read the Article: Diakonie Church and Camput, Dusseldorf A pared-down alter space at the Dusseldorf branch of the Diakonie Church
Less a church, more a contemporary city block, the Diakonie Church defies architectural convention
Read the Article: Etage Store, Berlin. Some of the high-design items on show at Etage. Part museum, part store, Etage is Berlin’s homage to beautiful design items
Clothing is on sale alongside the objects at Etage
Read the Article: Exile Gallery, Kreuzberg Berlin. A return to artistic grassroots, part gallery, part studio, Exile offers opportunities for artists to create site specific exhibitions in the space. In rejection of the Blue Chip gallery mode that has become de rigeur, Exile takes a more hands on approach. More concerned with making art than marketing it, gallerist Christian Siekmeire’s offers up-and-coming artists the chance to both create and exhibit work in Exile.
Read the Article, Extrafein Boutique, Berlin. Set on the outskirts of the Mitte, Extrafein is a gallery-cum-boutique. Vaguely industrial, Extrafein embraces its original surrounds
Read the Article: New flat in Berlin by J Mayer H Architects. Designed in Mayer’s typically unconventional style, this new Berlin Residence does not cut corners when it comes to architectural exaggeration. Uber-bold, bright green graphics fill the space on the Mitte
Designed for a family of art lovers, the flat does not shy away from Meyer’s overstated approach. Meyer’s blinding green stylings can be found throughout the Berlin flat. Meyer’s angular contour lines follow the architectural definitions of the space
Read the Article: Kkaarrlls design, Karlsruhe. Started by a group of design graduates from the Karlsruhe university of Arts and Design, the Kkaarrlls collection turns traditional design values on their head
Contemporary bookshop Motto launches its traveling bookshops initiative. Read the Article: Motto
Super-contemporary eyewear from Berlin-based Mykita. Read the Article: Mykita
Eyewear from architect Jan Kleihues for Onono. Read the Article: Onono Eyewear
Nike Air Max sneaker adornments from Berlin’s Sabrina Dehoff. Read the Article: Sneaker Jewellery
Nike Air Max sneaker adornments from Berlin’s Sabrina Dehoff
Architect David Chipperfield’s Berlin Town House. Read the Article: Town House by David Chipperfield, Berlin
Architect David Chipperfield’s Berlin Town House
Weissmann’s purist sports cars, inspired by 1950’s Jaguars
Read the Article: Wohnhaus Lubbering by Drewes + Strange. Weathered steel and wood dominate in the Wohnhaus Lubbering by Drewes + Strange
Clean lined and minimalist the Wohnhaus Lubbering typifies Drewes + Strange’s architectural approach
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Jack White's Third Man Records opens a Paris pop-upJack White's immaculately-branded record store will set up shop in the 9th arrondissement this weekend
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Designer Marta de la Rica’s elegant Madrid studio is full of perfectly-pitched contradictionsThe studio, or ‘the laboratory’ as de la Rica and her team call it, plays with colour, texture and scale in eminently rewarding ways
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‘Nothing just because it’s beautiful’: Performance artist Marina Abramović on turning her hand to furniture designMarina Abramović has no qualms about describing her segue into design as a ‘domestication’. But, argues the ‘grandmother of performance art’ as she unveils a collection of chairs, something doesn’t have to be provocative to be meaningful
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Book: ‘Design Talks: Contemporary Creatives on Architecture and Design’ by Massimo de Conti -
New York conference celebrates depth and diversity in architecture practice todayThe World Around, Beatrice Galilee's day-long conference in New York, brought together future projects, inter-discplinary discussion and issues around gender bias, through an exciting array of international participants
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The Sharjah Architecture Triennial inspects the future of urbanismThe inaugural Sharjah Architectural Triennial, curated by Adrian Lahoud, is built around the subject ‘Rights of Future Generations’ and investigates decision making and rethinking fundamental questions about architecture in the UAE region and beyond
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Beyond buildings: the expanded vision of the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial -
Tallinn Architecture Biennale explores why beauty mattersHow relevant is beauty to human life, health and knowledge? Asks Dr Yael Reisner, curator of the 8th Tallinn Architecture Biennale
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Indiana’s Exhibit Columbus festival promises to celebrate women in architecture -
Renzo Piano Building Workshop retrospective to open at London's Royal Academy of Arts -
Palm Springs Modernism Week 2018 previewPalm Springs Modernism Week, which runs from 15–25 February 2018, has announced its 11-day programme of mid-century modern architecture, interiors, culture, parties and plenty of opportunities to knock back a martini. Explore what this microcosm of mid-century modernism has to offer in its most exciting week of the year, below.
