On Old Foundations

The architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp) have become world renowned over the course of their 50-year oeuvre, in particular for their large-scale works such as airports, sports venues, train stations, cultural buildings and masterplans. In contrast, few know the practice’s extensive body of work dedicated to the interaction with historical structures. The exhibition ‘Auf alten Fundamenten - On Old Foundations’, first shown at the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale, is designed to close this gap by focusing on this less commonly presented side of the globally active office, which first originated in Hamburg.

In light of the fact that in Europe today over 65 per cent of construction in cities concerns the reuse of historical structures through conversion, renovation and extension, this is a high priority and commendable task that demands great responsibility and sensitivity and is rarely appropriate for creating a furore with spectacular proposals. Rather from the joining of new and old an architecture emerges that is based on the ‘foundations of the existing’ in order to create something new that is appropriate to the specific place.

For gmp it is not enough if architecture only formally relates to the past, it must also take into account the historical, cultural, social and often also the political contexts in which a building was developed. Only in this way can an architecture arise that uses the resources, materials and technology of our times to transform the spirit of history and thereby keep it alive.

The exhibition presents exemplary and impressive projects that demonstrate how the architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners approach the universal theme of place and its history and the different designs that develop from this. In an introductory section using the city of Hamburg as an example, different approaches are presented that ultimately always lead to an architecture that pays respect to history and at the same time points the way into the future.

Four further exhibition segments, each with a different emphasis, present examples from the architects’ extensive repertoire that has grown over the last fifty years. These include the Boiler House in Speicherstadt, Hamburg; the National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland; the National Museum of China, Beijing, China; the Culture Palace, Dresden, the Kirov Stadium, St Petersburg, Russia, and many more.

Information on gmp Architects:The office was founded in 1965 by Meinhard von Gerkan and Volkwin Marg and is one of the most renowned architectural practices worldwide. gmp became especially known through the opening of Tegel Airport in Berlin in 1975. Further projects followed, including the New Trade Fair Leipzig, the Rimini Trade Fair, the Christ Pavilion for EXPO 2000, the reconstruction and roofing of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin and Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof completed in 2006. With over 500 employees spread across 13 offices, gmp is currently working on projects in Germany, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Latvia, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam.
Read more: www.gmp-architekten.de

Sponsors

Kvadrat, IGEPA group

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