Architekt und Architekturhistoriker
Sometimes architecture is discovered rather than sought out. During a stay in Teulada, a small town in southern Sardinia, I came across the local Monumento ai Caduti almost by accident. At first glance, it seemed to be one of those civic memorials that are so deeply embedded in the fabric of Italian towns that they …
Weiterlesen "Architecture of Remembrance: The Monument to the Fallen in Teulada (Sardinia)"
Industrie erbenKunst, Architektur und Städtebau auf den produktiven Brachen RomsAnne Scheinhardt GERMAN | ISBN: 9783689240752. Mit Industrie erben ist nun bei De Gruyter ein Buch erschienen, das sich dem baulichen und kulturellen Erbe der Industrie in Rom widmet, seine Vielschichtigkeit untersucht und einer Frage nachgeht, die weit über die Bewahrung historischer Bausubstanz hinausweist: Wie gehen …
Weiterlesen "Neu erschienen: Anne Scheinhardt, ‚Industrie erben‘"
A Postscript on Preservation and Transformation in urban planning and architecture In a recent essay on the redevelopment of central Pforzheim and the impending demolition of two buildings from the postwar period (cfr. Was bleibt von der Stadt des Wiederaufbaus? In: Pforzheimer Zeitung, 08-15-2026, p. 22), I wrote a sentence that was meant almost as …
San Pietro di Zuri and the Persistence of Architecture in Sardinia At first sight, San Pietro di Zuri appears almost improbably intact. Its long body of reddish stone, articulated apse, bell structure and rhythmic sequence of blind arches form one of the most distinctive examples of late Romanesque architecture in Sardinia. Yet the church has …
The Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln (MAKK) is currently hosting the exhibition 'O.M. Ungers – Architektur als Idee' (22 May – 27 September 2026), marking the centenary of Oswald Mathias Ungers. Accompanying the exhibition is an insightful opening lecture by Martin Kieren, who presents Ungers not merely as one of Germany's most influential post-war architects, …
In discussions about architecture, individual qualities are often elevated to the status of ultimate criteria. One generation celebrates structural expression, another sustainability. Some architects prioritise flexibility, others beauty, economy, material honesty, social inclusion, or energy performance. Each of these concerns is legitimate. Yet architecture rarely succeeds because it excels in only one of them.Watching major …
Weiterlesen "Complex Value and the Architecture of Integration"
Football and architecture are rarely discussed together. Yet one of the most influential ideas in the history of football offers an unexpected lesson for architects. When Rinus Michels developed Total Football and Johan Cruyff transformed it into a broader philosophy, they were not merely rethinking tactics. They were rethinking space.At its core, Total Football is …
Weiterlesen "Beyond Form: What Total Football Reveals About Architecture"
A few days ago, I came across a 1998 interview with the Munich architect Alexander von Branca. Known for projects such as the Neue Pinakothek in Munich and numerous religious buildings, von Branca reflected on architecture, the city, community, and the responsibilities of the architect. Around the same time, I learned about the exhibition Too …
Weiterlesen "Too Hot? Alexander von Branca and the Return of Architecture’s Fundamental Questions"
Die Diskussion um die Zukunft des Blaubeurer Tors in Ulm berührt eine der zentralen Fragen der Denkmalpflege: Wie gehen wir mit historischen Verlusten um? Sollen sie sichtbar bleiben oder durch bauliche Ergänzungen überwunden werden? Und bedeutet die Wiedergewinnung einer verlorenen Gestalt tatsächlich auch einen Gewinn an Authentizität?Die aktuelle Debatte ist bemerkenswert, weil sie sich nicht …
Weiterlesen "Blaubeurer Tor: Zwischen Ergänzung und Authentizität"
Few sculptures demonstrate the importance of genius loci more clearly than David in Florence.The original statue today stands inside the Galleria dell'Accademia, protected, isolated, and illuminated as a museum masterpiece. There, one studies the perfection of the marble, the anatomical precision, the extraordinary technical achievement. The sculpture becomes an object of contemplation.Yet the replica standing …
Luigi Monzo 