AIT Ausgaben

PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

Sitting still, as here in the Big Easy by Ron Arad at the Moroso stand, was definitely a rare occurrence during the Salone del Mobile in Milan. To get an impression of the latest international furnishing trends walking was the order of the trade fair. Our comprehensive trade fair report (starting on page 44) features the things well worth seeing; additionally you find numerous photos of our personal impressions and meetings on our Editor’s Blog on facebook. An overview of Euroluce, which takes place every two years in the context of the Salone, will be included in our June issue. Our selection of the most spectacular luminaires is supported by interior and lighting designer Heiko Gruber (photo at the bottom), who explored the Euroluce as a trend scout. In the meantime, our colleagues in the editorial office dedicated themselves to the current AIT issue: public buildings – kindergartens and schools. Changing demands on childcare facilities, education policy reforms such as all-day schools, inclusion and interdenominational schools as well as a renovation backlog built up over decades have brought professional circles to realise that half-hearted touching-up can no longer be a solution. Instead, so the association of primary schools, special demands regarding the interior design and architecture of learning and living environments in schools have to be defined: “Moving away from inflexible standard rooms and standard furniture and towards flexibly adaptable room typologies, towards a design of architecture and equipment as if made from one piece!” We happily took note of this and made it the basis for our project selection. Besides day care centres, kindergartens and schools in Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Finland, Spain, Lithuania, and China (as from page 92), we also feature a small but mighty selection of churches and cultural institutions (starting on page 122). Provided that early summer has meanwhile asserted itself: A weekend in … Leipzig (from page 60) is worthwhile! I explored it myself over the Easter holidays!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

As much as housing is perceived by the general public as a very private basic need – more than 50 percent of Germans dream of owning a detached single-family home – the socio-political debate is sparked off by the lack of social housing, the wasteful use of land in rural areas and the construction industry’s significant contribution to the climate crisis. Higher interest rates, a strongly rising inflation rate and demand stagnating at a high level determine the German real estate market. What does this mean for architects? How and where should we live? Should we densify cities? According to current statistics, in 2023, more than 77 percent of people in Germany lived in cities, but only 13 percent consider the city an ideal place to live. The reasons: price levels are too high, too little nature. How should residential buildings in rural areas be designed to be environmentally and socially sustainable? I have discovered a good example – in this case, temporary – in the Bregenz Forest (image above, p. 22). The skilful interplay between nature and architecture here is unparalleled. Equally meaningful and current are material- and space-saving conversions, such as in Iwata, Japan (from p. 68), in Geneva (from p. 86) or in Basel (from p. 114), as are intelligent, space-efficient residential developments like those in Wädenswil (from p. 104) or Malmö (from p. 106). In Madrid (from p. 74), Cologne (from p. 82) and Vésenaz (from p. 100), we are convinced by the optimisation or expansion of existing floor plans – the exemplary space-saving concept “Five on 100” in Berlin (from p. 76) impressed the jury of the German Interior Architecture Prize 2023 and earned Berlin-based interior architect Elisabeth Müller third place. Contemporary housing solutions engage both universities, as evidenced by the master’s thesis “Space Fillers” at the University of Stuttgart (from p. 44), and the industry: Two companies successfully address micro-living with the project “The Moving Tree” (from p. 118). Finally, we have a multitude of congratulations: for the three winners of the INsider Award 2023 (photo on the right, p. 14), Gustav Düsing & Max Hacke as finalists of the EUmies Awards (p. 14) and all the female protagonists in the interior/architecture industry on International Women’s Day on March 8! Congratulation!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

Welcome to 2024, which hopefully brings us many positive developments. We kicked off the series of traditional spring fairs with a visit to the imm cologne, taking a glimpse into the future of furniture design. A detailed report will follow in the upcoming AIT issue! Our subsequent selection of projects for the theme of this issue, Sales and Presentation, was also forward-looking. Like trend scouts, we sifted through a multitude of retail projects and trade fair booths worldwide to discern the direction the industry is heading. It’s incredible to see the fantastic shopping experiences created globally with great imagination, creativity, and courage. We have selected 15 projects that couldn’t be more diverse: bakeries, farm shops, concept stores, eyewear and stores, bookshops, and even a store where you can buy an electric vehicle while strolling around. The variety of examples is encouraging, especially as there are reports of department stores withdrawing from city centres, and concerns about ground-floor vacancies. Martina Velmeden, a graduate of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, explored department store revitalisation in her master’s thesis “Post Shopping City”. Ideas are more in demand than ever when it comes to steering consumption sensibly, dealing with what we have and finding environmentally friendly alternatives. We feature some of these unusual and sustainable shopfitting solutions in our new “Ideas” section – let yourself be inspired! Architectural journalist
Janina Poesch describes how artificial intelligence will change spatial experiences in her article “Dimension Data”. The beginning of the year is a good time to think about holidays: Brasilia – the city designed by Oscar Niemeyer over 60 years ago – is worth a visit, not just for a weekend! And those who want to follow in the footsteps of Adolf Loos can stay in the recently renovated Villa Winternitz in Prague and then browse in antiquarian bookshops, perhaps making a lucky find like Dominik Reding did. The new year offers many opportunities – let’s seize them!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

HEALTH AND SPA

Dear Readers,

The unusually long, hot summer is definitively over, and it’s time to wrap up well! I certainly heeded this advice in List on Sylt when I walked around the Lanser Hof Medical Spa (image above and from p. 104) at a respectful distance. Some of the projects we’ve selected for our AIT issue on health and wellness are inaccessible to the general public. Others, however, you’d only want to visit in case of emergency or medical indication: these dental practices (starting on p. 76), children’s or rehabilitation clinics (from p. 82) are designed in a way that prevents the fear of entering and maximises the quality of stay. It’s unquestionable that good interior design in the healthcare sector is essential for healing and recovery. Gemma Koppen and Dr. Tanja C. Vollmer describe how architectural psychology is reforming hospital construction in their article “Evidence-Based”. The recipe for a pleasant atmosphere in healthcare could be a very simple one: just like home! Under this guiding principle, the team from Hamoo Innenarchitektur transformed a doctor’s residence near Lucerne into a hospice (p. 124). Architects and interior designers were guided by similar design parameters in the successful designs for Three… Nursing Homes (from page 40) in Selfoss, St. Leonhard and Lyngdal. Those who want to stay healthy and look good for as long
as possible would be wise to take preventive measures in good time. Well-designed aesthetic and fitness studios (from p. 100) and swimming pools (from p. 112) support such preventive actions. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a house community in Madrid to set up a private spa (from p. 118), demonstrating that a basement can provide a highly aesthetic setting for wellness of any kind. In line with these inspiring projects, we feature tile and porcelain stoneware trends presented at Cersaie in Bologna (image on the right and from p. 32), panel and wood materials (from p. 64), as well as products for medical practices, hospital rooms and waiting areas (starting on p. 60). The breadth between health and wellness is exemplified by Dominik Reding with “My Night in Neukölln” (p. 54) and Mete Ay with his master’s thesis “Queer Club” (from p. 46) at the AdBK Munich. Take good care and stay healthy!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

In southern Germany, dirndls and lederhosen currently dominate the cityscapes: it’s Oktoberfest time! Personally, I’m not too enthusiastic about either the Munich or Stuttgart Beer Festivals. Beer, marquee music and enthusiastically singing contemporaries are just as suspect to me as the exterior and interior of the stalls and beer tents. However, there is reason for hope – the design of marquees could become an (interior) architectural task in the future. At least, that’s the promise of a Stuttgart beer tent keeper. We’ll keep an eye on this positive development. Unaffected by the Oktoberfest fever, we have dedicated ourselves to the current theme of offices and administration, selecting office projects ranging from 335 to 29,000 square metres that impress with their outstanding design, innovative concepts and conscious use of materials. They all share the idea of using inspiring interior design to provide an attractive meeting place for communication and focused work. It’s no longer a secret, at least since post-Corona, that office spaces need to be well and efficiently planned. The changes that need to take place in today’s working environments are explored by the Munich-based interior design firm Die Planstelle in the article “Hello again!”. A workplace solution can also be a small, clever one: at the University of Coburg, Ramona Böhm focused her master’s thesis on the design of a flexible workspace called Chameleon. Office buildings built of wood are still rare but future-proof. Partner and Partner Architekten from Berlin report on their sustainable and social aspects. Our columnist Benjamin Reding experienced firsthand that working on the train is not a new invention of Deutsche Bahn but was already a common practice among political and literary celebrities. From page 58, he shares this delightful memory. As every year, we welcome the first-year students of interior design and architecture programmes with a free AIT annual subscription. Send us your name, address and enrolment certificate – we look forward to fresh impetus in our ranks!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

“Could you consider dedicating an issue to sustainability?” an interior designer friend asked me recently as we were compiling the projects for this AIT issue on store design. It’s a valid request, but should we abandon our long-standing structure of issue-specific themes sorted by architectural tasks? More importantly, is it adequate and sensible to address sustainability in a one-off special issue? In the future, the industry will have to prioritise responsible – in other words, sustainable – use of spaces, materials, energy, resources, and waste in all interior design and architectural projects. After reviewing the projects for this edition, we’re pleased to confirm that this is increasingly becoming the case. We’ve chosen a bakery in Barcelona (pp. 76ff.), a brewery in Humpolec, Czech Republic (pp. 84ff.) and a handbag boutique in Milan (pp. 94ff.) that, after careful renovation and targeted interventions, now boast particularly atmospheric retail spaces. We were captivated by the aesthetic reuse of building components and materials in a fashion store in Bratislava (pp. 90ff.), a concept store in Munich (image above; pp. 100ff.) and a jewellery store in Berlin (pp. 102 ff). It’s also sensible that stores and showrooms are no longer subject to the dominant CI but rather designed to be seamlessly repurposed. Traditionally, exhibition stands have not been known for their sustainability. However, the approach taken with an intelligent and resource-efficient stand concept in Munich, which was used multiple times and later repurposed for kindergartens (pp. 116ff.), is a remarkable step away from the throwaway mentality. We must commend a dedicated group of interior architecture students from HfT Stuttgart, who transformed a second-hand store into an attractive, thriving café in Ellwangen (pp. 118ff.). We’re also impressed by the ethos of an outdoor company that employs existing furniture, lighting and materials from a former electronics store to shape its retail world (pp. 126 ff.). It’s encouraging that progress is being made in the right direction, although there is still much more to be done!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

So much for a silly season! When journalist colleagues lament the quiet summer period, we respond with a weary smile. The event carousel continues to revolve around interior design and architecture-related topics, and it feels like it’s spinning faster than ever. Understandably so, as rapid rethinking and action are needed everywhere. Barely back from Euroluce in Milan, it was already time to pack our bags for the 18th Architecture Biennale in Venice. The spring edition of imm cologne took place in Cologne, and we headed to Chemnitz for the BDA Day and to Aarhus, Denmark, for the 15th INsider Award. Find out who made it to the top three interior designers as voted by their peers. Over 6,000 participants gathered in Copenhagen for the UIA World Congress, the largest global event for sustainable architecture, while architects and interior designers in Berlin discussed circular construction. How fortunate that we always produce a more extensive double issue in the summer! Of course, we also took care of the key topic of this AIT edition: living! When selecting the projects, we focused on renovations of existing buildings, flat extensions, intelligent floor plan solutions, conscious material choices and the circular use of construction materials. What is more sustainable than preserving good architecture and sensitively transitioning it to the present? A prime example: the careful restoration of Egon Eiermann’s residence in Baden-Baden. Building with straw sounds sensible, but is it also feasible? The straw bale house in Pfaffenhofen proves that it can work. Is your summer holiday still to come? We recommend a “Weekend in Nuremberg”, a visit to a winery, or a trip to Venice for the aforementioned Architecture Biennale, open until November 26. In the upcoming issues of AIT, we will fuel the interest in this event by featuring favourite pavilions of our freelance editors. Benjamin Reding describes a very special type of living in his essay: Above the clouds – almost limitless!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BAR, HOTEL, RESTAURANT

Dear Readers,

We have been waiting for this summer for a long time: travelling carefree again at last, enjoying restaurants and bars to the fullest, visiting trade fairs… Salone del Mobile was a good start: strolling through the exhibition halls in Rho (picture above) with my colleagues Kira Kawohl and Stephan Faulhaber and enjoying the first rays of sunshine in the Fuori Salone. We gathered impressions and pictures and met many acquaintances – our extensive follow-up report starts on page 28. The next trip to Italy is already scheduled as we go to press: We will attend the press preview days of the 18th Architecture Biennale in Venice and report in AIT 7/8.2023. Strikes of airline and railway staff have not made travelling any easier in the last few weeks and have unintentionally reminded us to consciously use more climate-neutral means of transport. Well, that was obvious when it came to the fleeting visits to our selected projects on the topic of current issue “Bar Hotel Restaurant” in Hamburg (p. 88), Stuttgart (right and from p. 96), Berlin (p. 104) and Wiesbaden (p. 120). For the remaining venues in Osaka, Shanghai, Valencia, Innichen, Thessaloniki, Bolzano, Lyon and Malaga, we relied on the power of the images and think the design concepts are inspiring for the next catering project. Cruise ship holidays were more than controversial even before the corona pandemic, meanwhile many port cities have had time to recover from it and do not wish to return to the previous state. What appropriate actions does the industry take? In the article “Alles im Fluss” (from p. 126), Anne Wolff and Nicola Voss from JOI-Design describe how sustainable travelling on a river cruise ship can work. Our product recommendations (from p. 68), especially for outdoor use (from p. 74), support you in furnishing and equipping catering venues. The hotel design for a vineyard in Lisbon (from p. 46), a bachelor’s thesis by Celine Kohlhaas at the Münster School of Architecture, proves that this topic is also an attractive task for students. Have you ever wondered what’s on the minds of guests at a café while waiting for their Black Forest gateau? Dominik Reding has a hunch (p. 56)! We wish you a wonderful summer (holiday)!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

This issue on Public Buildings is about the three Cs: No, we do not mean the disrespectful alliteration children, cooking, church used in the 1970s to describe the social role of women according to conservative values! The variation children, church, culture fits our project selection perfectly. As regards children, we feature remarkable day-care centres, kindergartens, schools, a youth traffic school (picture above, p. 90) and universities. Under the title The future is now! (from p. 110) gernot schulz : architektur reflect profoundly on the connection between pedagogy, society and school construction.With the exemplary school refurbishment in Röhrliberg (p. 114), we focus on a highly topical building task, since more and more school buildings constructed as a result of the education boom in the 1970s will have to be refurbished in the next few years. It is no secret that Scandinavian countries, in particular Finland, are way out in front when it comes to education: Quality and appreciation is a good design guideline — not only for the New Nordic School in Helsinki (from p. 68). The pre-school (pp. 118 ff.) in the Dominican Republic (!) was actually developed on the Finnish model. You can experience the trend-setting Finnish design parameters for yourself when staying at Alva Aalto’s town hall in Säynätsalo. Architecture journalist Hendrik Bohle has lived in this icon for some time and expresses his enthusiasm from page 34 onwards. From there, a detour to Vantaa would be worthwhile to visit the impressive church by OOPEAA (starting on p. 104). Not quite as far away is Tirschenreuth, where the Brückner brothers have created a gem of a wayside chapel (from p. 108), and we encourage you to visit Gottfried Böhm’s Mariendom in Neviges (p. 122). The interiors of the Three … Monasteries (pp. 38 ff.), however, can only be visited in this issue. Regarding culture, we have a Netflix tip: the film Oi!Warning by our essayists Dominik and Benjamin Reding is available for viewing, and they prove their expertise in cinemas from page 50 onwards. Karsten Ermann takes a look into the future in his master’s thesis The Portal (pp. 44 ff.) and develops a mixed reality concept for exhibitions and museums. And the fact that two Hölderlin anniversaries are being accompanied architecturally this year is pure culture!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

Until not so long ago, every architect or interior designer broke out in a cold sweat when the clients announced that they wanted to integrate the existing furniture into the just-completed office building. What was decided primarily for pecuniary reasons did not necessarily support the committed design concept. Times are changing — and that’s a good thing! Re-use today stands for reusing furniture, materials and surfaces and is not only becoming increasingly socially accepted but is urgently needed. The building industry has to put up with the reproach of being wasteful with building materials and components produced in elaborate and environmentally damaging processes. The answer to this is not only reduce but also recycle and — of course — re-use. We found an impressive example in Ober-Ramstadt, Hesse (pictured above), where the planners from Point. Architektur equipped the communication area in the administration building of a paint manufacturer with existing furniture and leftover materials purchased online. They called their modular system Re_frame and reveal their recipe for success frompage 126 onwards. In this issue on ‘Office and Administration’, you will look in vain for staid, prestigious office spaces with executive chairs, design classics and leather fauteuils. Regardless of the actual space — our examples range from 170 to 40,000 square metres (from p. 84) —, all offices boast a successful mix of playful nonchalance and the charming appeal of the unfinished that is not remotely reminiscent of drab office work. Rather, flexible, transferable and expandable concepts are envisaged that intelligently and far-sightedly adapt to the constantly changing office landscape. The motto must be to plan for change and to continue building instead of demolishing. In theirmaster’s thesis “Alliance for Youth” (p. 42), Lorena Stephan and Sylvia Brüstle impressively demonstrate that vacated administrative buildings can serve the city and society. An old tobacco factory in Linz (from p. 130) designed by the old master of modernism Peter Behrens in the 1930s offers the perfect backdrop for creative workplaces after renovation. We are all the more pleased that the office scenarios Dominik Reding describes in his essay “Do you love this state?” (from p. 56) are becoming less common. And that is also a good thing!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

my highlight of this year so far has been a visit (pictured above) to the home of Egon Eiermann (1904–1970) in Baden-Baden. Built from 1959 to 1962 for himself and his family, it has now been renovated with loving attention to detail by its new owners with the support of nowhere architekten from Stuttgart. The next AIT issue on “Housing” will feature a detailed report. This Housing issue presents yet another architectural icon: a single-family house by Ernst Gisel (1922–2021) in Erlenbach, Switzerland, recently revived by interior designer Victoria-Maria Geyer from Brussels. Arno Lederer, who passed away at the end of January, would certainly have liked both contributions, as he had special ties to Eiermann and Gisel. On the occasion of his death, which shook the architectural community to the core, Michael Ragaller, Lederer’s former employee and university assistant, remembers their times together (p. 13). In his latest book (p.65), Lederer, a well-read writer with both an entertaining and profound style, also comments in his essay “Kleines Haus” (Small House) on the much-debated single-family house. He sees the blame for what the knowledgeable observer encounters in new development areas on the edge of towns less with architects than with the building owners who, when considering their personal living preferences, disregard the fact that “a house is a piece of the common street, the neighbourhood and the town”. This is also reflected in our selection of projects: it is not only new buildings that offer quality living space – as proven by the very distinctive flat and loft conversions (from p. 68) in existing buildings. The selected new buildings (from p. 86) are skilful infills, such as the HS77 semi-detached house in Stuttgart by the architects from VON M (pictured right), or replace what already exists, such as the Zierhof in Pflersch (from p. 90). The weekend house in Murstetten, the residence in Venray and the tree house in Sulzberg are sensitively embedded in their local context. As essential as the interior is for the residents, only the exterior that is in tune with its surroundings allows the “Small House” to become architecture. Oh, Arno, we will certainly miss you, your clever thoughts and outstanding designs!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

a truly crazy year has come to an end – I sincerely hope that you have had the best possible start into the new one! Despite all the economic, political and pandemic complications, trade fair activities in the building and furnishing sector have picked up again since last autumn: Light & Building in Frankfurt (see AIT 12.2022) was followed by Orgatec in Cologne (picture above and p. 54). You will find a comprehensive follow-up report from page 28 onwards. For the first time since the pandemic, the Architecture+ Office Innovation Award took place again as part of Orgatec – we feature all the products submitted, with the jury’s decisions for the winners and special mentions, from page 122 onwards. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the committed jury and all the participants (see picture on the right)! During the trade fair visits and the research for the current issue on “Sales and Presentation”, the question arose whether the pandemic-induced trade fair break was predestined to reflect on the future of trade fairs and possible course corrections. We want to sharpen our focus on the events still to come! Our selected interior design projects (from p. 68) focus on trade fair stand concepts that are reusable and repurposable, made of sustainable, few and homogeneous materials. In shopfitting, too, more and more designers are considering the use of recycled, degradable, highquality or already existing components, hybrid concepts and intelligent use of space. This also proves helpful in tackling a red-hot issue: our retail expert Henriette Sofia Steuer (from p. 111) deals with the potential of repurposing department stores. And even in museum concepts (from p. 114) the claim reuse, reduce and recycle can be implemented. New this year is the Campus (p. 14) heading in our Forum news section, where, (interior) architecture students will find concentrated information on competitions, scholarships, prizes and awards. We wish you and us all the best for 2023!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BANKS AND AUTHORITY BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

The year 2022 has not been short of new challenges. We are all affected – still by the pandemic, by the war in Ukraine and climate change. Existing problems have intensified: shortages of skilled workers and raw materials, rising prices and inflation rates, are a particular burden on the construction industry and will continue to occupy us for a long time to come. The young generation of architects is reacting – with appeals, activities and initiatives, which we are happy to support. Every step in the right direction counts, as we have seen at numerous
recent events. Even at trade fairs such as Light & Building or Orgatec, a sharpening of awareness of the problem could be discerned. When selecting the projects for our issue on “Banks and Authorities”, we found fine examples of appropriate interventions, well-placed extensions, sensible refurbishments and suggestions for further building, which, with moderate use of materials and land, lead to forward-looking solutions. Banks, such as those in Meyrin or Sarnen, are anything but prestigious and ostentatious, but accessible and empathetic. Authorities such as those in Starnberg, Korbach, Darmstadt and Plochingen provide a low-threshold environment for citizens, and the city council in Pontevedra, Spain, is responding architecturally to the challenges posed by the pandemic. And the fact that you don’t just stash money in a bank, but also wine is encouraging! One of the event highlights this fall was the 70th anniversary celebration of the bdia. Over 300 guests celebrated the past, the present and the future at the OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts! Professor Ulrich Nether keeps an eye on the latter: together with his students at TH OWL, he developed the mockup of the Thusnelda Monocab as part of an innovative rail vehicle. After the demonstrator had successfully completed an autonomous journey in October, the anniversary guests were able to see the interior design quality of the four-person pod. We look to this future with confidence, would like to thank you for your loyalty as readers
with Christmas gift ideas and wish everyone a peaceful holiday season!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

HEALTH AND SPA

Dear Readers,

This autumn trade fair season has caught us flat-footed, because after a long hiatus we had to get used to business trips again: Maison & Objet in Paris, Light & Building in Frankfurt, Cersaie in Bologna and Orgatec in Cologne had to be planned, visited and followed up for this and the next AIT issues. See the comprehensive trade fair report on Cersaie, the tile and porcelain stoneware trade fair in Bologna, where our colleague Annette Weckesser met the old master of the Ticino school, Mario Botta, agile and curious as ever despite having almost reached the age of 80. We will report on Light & Building in our December issue. Exactly one year ago, I promised that I would keep you informed about the extensive expansion and renovation of the clinics in Nagold. Now, Volker Renz, technical managing director of the Eigenbetrieb Immobilien der Kreiskrankenhäuser Calw und Nagold, describes the demanding task of transferring a hospital complex completed in 1977 into the future over an 8-year construction period. The fact that he himself studied architecture and that the architects now planning the project are his former colleagues has an expedient effect on the decision-making process. When selecting projects on “Health and Spa”, it was again evident that the interior design of medical and wellness facilities, gyms and sports halls is of great importance for regeneration or prevention. Besides inspiring examples, we additionally support your planning with an extensive product selection and a special section on surfaces. As we suspected in 2019, the photo series “Kluft und Haut” (AIT 7/8.2019) by our AIT columnists Dominik and Benjamin Reding would make history. Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg has now added the 40-exhibit series to its collection and will show a changing selection as part of the permanent exhibition “Crafts and Medicine”. Enjoy the autumn in good health!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

It’s an open secret – not only in the AIT editorial office: I don’t like houseplants! Not at home, not in the office, nowhere. This is not to say that I have anything against greenery. Outdoors, plants are certainly justified and my balcony flowers are lovingly maintained, but placing potted plants indoors has so far seemed quite arbitrary to me. Well, I obviously diverge from the current trend, which is referred to as “greenery” or “planterior” and aims to turn every office space into a place of wellbeing. During a visit to the newly designed office of the architecture firm Coast (picture above, from p. 132), I was proven wrong: if plants are an integral part of the interior concept – like colours, materials, surfaces and furniture – a coherent, atmospheric overall picture can indeed emerge. In some of our selected office projects (from p. 100), the indoor plant lovers seem to have successfully asserted themselves. In her article “Plants at Work”, greenterior designer Miriam Köpf explains what needs to be considered in office greening. AIT colleague Annette Weckesser (picture right, from p. 106) was convinced that the colour green alone can do a good job in the office premises of a hightech company. This AIT issue on “Office and Administration” also features insights on how (interior) architects design their own office spaces (from p.132). First-year interior design and architecture students starting in October are still a few years away from this. We traditionally welcome the young colleagues in this issue and reward them and all bachelor and master graduates with a free AIT subscription! Simply send your certificate of enrolment or proof of graduation plus your postal address to pstephan@ait-online.de! AIT has been the official medium of the Association of German Interior Architects since 1996, so we are happy to celebrate the 70th anniversary of bdia on 20 October in Detmold. Information on the programme can be found from page 162! I hope to see you there!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

it could have been a picture-book summer, but ongoing material shortages, price increases and uncertainty over the impact of the war and COVID-19 development were likely to dampen summer spirits. However, the shopfitting industry seems to have learned to adapt to sharp changes in mood over the past two years. According to the latest survey by the German Shopfitting Association dlv, industry representatives are quite optimistic about the future. And we couldn’t help feeling the same way when selecting projects for this AIT issue on Sales and Presentation. Instead of being frustrated with the external circumstances, people invested in the design of shops and showrooms, as reflected in the large number of submissions. We have selected the projects that seemed particularly independent, exemplary and inspiring to us. We present lovingly and meaningfully designed grocery shops and completely new, digital retail formats, along with hairdressing salons (pictured above and on the right) and apparel shops all the way to glasses shops and jewellers.What they all have in common is an outstanding design concept that perfectly showcases the product to be marketed. Again, the theme is shopping with all our senses; the aesthetic reflection of the quality of goods or services is the idea! In her article “Long live the trade fair!” (from p. 118), retail expert Janina Poesch analyses the changeable format, looks back at the past and develops perspectives for the future. The future of building has been the theme of the student competition Solar Decathlon for 20 years. It was held in Germany for the first time, and the winners RoofKIT from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology explain why a German team ultimately prevailed (from page 36). An exhibition by the BDA Baden-Württemberg proved to be particularly forward-looking: the coming out of architecture was celebrated with “I am a Queerspace” (from p. 138). And our author Benjamin Reding tells of the misfortune and fortune of sales in his breath-taking essay “Like in a film” (from p. 56)!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

Good news: for the first time since the pandemic, a “proper” Salone del Mobile was held again in Milan. Almost 270,000 visitors at the Rho exhibition centre and the Fuori Salone were eager to get back to the old normal. We also had a look around, and the trends and novelties that caught our eye have been compiled into a large follow-up report starting on page 30. The industry was able to counter the current threats posed by the climate crisis and military interventions with a colourfulness that exudes optimism, combined with the serious use of natural and recycled materials. Devising new concepts for old furniture was also a red-hot design topic at the HfT Stuttgart. We present three exemplary projects in the “Students Design” section. The question “How will we live in the future?” will occupy all of us more than ever, since it has been neglected politically for too long to ensure sufficient sustainable, affordable and environmentally sound housing. Architect Thomas Ferwagner reports on how this was already achieved in the past in his article “Wir im Asemwald”. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the gigantic housing estate on the outskirts of Stuttgart, we visited him in his top-floor flat and were able to see the recipe for success of the still popular complex. Social housing also deserves a new approach: intelligent refurbishments as in Mexico City or timber construction as in Spain result in exemplary economic and aesthetic solutions. It is no coincidence but a logical consequence of the positive development of housing that most of the projects selected for this issue on housing are small flats or refurbishments. As we went to press, we received the sad news that Johannes Berschneider had passed away. We had last met the charismatic (interior) architect at the award ceremony for the German Interior Design Prize in Berlin; he was unable to attend the presentation of the bdia honorary membership in autumn 2021 in person due to his illness. Together with his wife Gudrun and his office team, we mourn the loss of a great representative of our profession.

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BAR HOTEL RESTAURANT

Dear Readers,

Fortunately we remember how joyful a visit to a restaurant is, how it works to book a hotel room! The gastronomic sector – at least the part that survived the lockdowns in the last two years – is in the starting blocks, presenting the projects interior designers and architects have been able to implement in recent months. Our selection for this AIT issue on the theme of Bar Hotel Restaurant – highly independent and crazy, consistent and straightforward, colourful and monochrome – does not reveal the efforts that were certainly necessary for the new start. Since our radius of action in terms of travel has been limited in recent months, it was fortunate that three remarkable venues were opened in Stuttgart: the EmiLu boutique hotel by blocher partners, the vegan restaurant Vhy! by Decor+More and the wacky Gian Paolo e Marco bar by Technobeton. All personally tested and approved! Since every successful restaurant now also needs a well-designed outdoor area, we are happy to present our Outdoor product focus, whereas our product suggestions from p. 68 may help you make the right interior design decisions. The hot tip for a long weekend in an architectural icon could bring you to the Schminke House by Hans Scharoun in Löbau, Saxony, and for ice cream lovers we have Three … Ice cream parlours in Frankfurt, Livorno and Melbourne! Books (from p. 80) to help you prepare for your holiday round off our (interior) architectural gastronomic choices and hopefully fuel your holiday mood. Those staying near Nuremberg on 14 July can take part in the 10th Architektur Fenster Fassade Forum during the Fensterbau Frontale trade fair with enlightening live lectures on the topic of “Robust”. And fans of garden pubs will love Benjamin Reding’s memoir “The Dwarf and the Penguin” and immediately associate a cool drink under the trees. We wish you many joyful moments in restaurants and bars!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

Whenever educational institutions have been in the public eye in the last two years, discussions about compulsory masks or a lack of digitalisation have usually been the catalyst. But it won’t stop there. In its recent study on municipal schools, the Bundesgütegemeinschaft Instandsetzung von Betonbauwerken concluded that schools in Germany are often not up to date, especially in terms of energy efficiency. Most school construction measures are currently planned in Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart. Our project selection on public buildings gives an impression of how much potential lies in this building task, how many individual and committed concepts are flowing into educational institutions – from day-care centres, to schools and universities, to a dog grooming school (!). The bad news is that due to the armed conflicts in Ukraine, we are facing demands that are difficult to foresee – both with regard to our education system and the construction industry. Not comparable to the situation in Ukraine: interior design and architecture offices from Kiev, with whomwe have been in contact about planned publications, report with poignant clarity about their personal situation. We have printed some of the original correspondence starting on page 10. The illustrations separating the sections of the issue were designed by artists from Lviv, Kharkiv and Kiev and draw attention to the situation in their home country. Finally, some good news regarding public buildings: the Stuttgart 21 railway station project is making progress! On the 400-metre-long construction site, 20 of 28 supports have already been concreted. Interested visitors were able to get an impression of the future underground station concourse during the open days over the Easter holidays. Press spokesman Michael Deufel gave us an exclusive advance tour of the famous construction site, which is scheduled for completion in late 2025. We will not give up hope!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

What seemed to be an interim solution two years ago under the catchphrase social distancing has become everyday life. Until 20 March, employers were obliged to facilitate working from home. Where do we go from here? The pandemic has changed the world of work, because it became evident that being in the office is no longer a necessity. The home office has come to stay. But is that what everyone wants? The pros and cons have been sufficiently discussed in recent months, and ultimately it’s the employers who would like to turn back the clock. What needs to be done for this to happen? When selecting projects for the current issue on “Office and Administration”, we realised: an office workstation dictated by workplace guidelines is no longer an enticement! “Yesterday everything was completely different” is written on the wall in the newly designed office of a Stuttgartbased advertising agency. Here, as in the headquarters, agencies and offices of architects, service providers and management consultants, employees are offered a variety of options: working alone, focused, or in a team, agile and flexible – in specially adapted working atmospheres that are as comfortable as a home office. In her article “Office architecture”, interior designer Dr. Tanja Remke describes what we can learn from history for the design of post-pandemic extreme office types. Our extensive product section highlights the new challenges for furniture and acoustics associated with the changes. A special piece of furniture caught the eye of AIT columnist Dominik Reding in recent news broadcasts: the six-metre-long, cream-white, oval table, the head of which Vladimir Putin tends to occupy. The essay “The Table” makes clear what is really important these days. In a Berlin-Neukölln church, Reding lights a candle – for Ukraine and against the war. We very much hope it helps!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

in true local patriotism, we had our fingers crossed for the John Cranko School by Burger Rudacs Architekten in Stuttgart, but the jury of the DAM Prize 2022 decided otherwise: first prize in the annual competition organised by the Deutsches Architekturmuseum went to Arge Summacumfemmer with Juliane Greb for the cooperative housing project San Riemo in Munich’s Riem district! This winning project, a building for 100 residents with flats that can grow and shrink according to need, may also be considered a sign of the importance currently attached to housing construction. The competitors were certainly renowned and their projects spectacular … but that is not what housing construction is currently all about. When selecting the projects for this issue on housing, we deliberately left out the opulent solutions, focusing instead on projects characterised by intelligent interventions, sophisticated colour and material schemes and an economical use of space. We found exemplary solutions such as the flats in Cascais (Portugal), Cape Town and Biarritz, creating most appealing living spaces of only 24 to 55 square metres. Even when architects plan their own homes, they do so economically and pragmatically, but not without the aforementioned sophistication, as the projects in Berlin and London demonstrate. The flats in Berlin, Milan and Viladecans (Spain), the new holiday home in Menzenschwand and the redesigned family area in London have succeeded in meeting the individual requirements of their future residents. Bonell+Dòriga have taken on a special task: with great sensitivity and respect for the existing building, they succeeded in upgrading a flat in the gigantic Walden 7 complex, implemented by the recently deceased Ricardo Bofill near Barcelona in the early 1970s. And the eerily beautiful photographic stagings by Gregory Crewdson show that living can not only be a dream but can also trigger nightmarish sensations!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL ANS PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

The summary for the past year could be: Good that it’s over! Of course, we had hoped that the pandemic would be a thing of the past, but reality has disabused us. Learning from experience and making the most of the situation will probably continue to determine our actions in 2022! In recent months, this has obviously also been the maxim of the hardhit retail and trade fair industry. When selecting projects for this AIT issue on the topic of “Sales and Presentation”, we were again able to see how resilient many members of the industry are, how flexible, inventive and courageous! There is no other explanation for the large number of brand-new exhibition stand and shop fitting concepts that we feature from page 60 onwards. All projects share the message that buying and consuming are not just banal necessities that can be done online joylessly. Rather, professionally designed spaces create sensual, inspiring environments that turn shopping into an enjoyable experience. This includes highlighting the value of individual products, and it is not surprising that the presentation of food currently has a very special significance. Best examples are the appetisingly fresh supermarket (p. 94) or the hip bakeries in Berlin (p. 96) and Stuttgart (p. 100 and pictures on this page). Recognising
trends, following and developing them with creativity is especially important in sectors that focus on body awareness, well-being and health, such as cosmetics, hairdressing and tattoo studios (from page 68), bicycle and sports shops (from page 84). Designing a children’s clothing shop that negates gender segregation (p. 112) is just as contemporary as the idea of shopping centres as a physical-digital community space (p. 104). While the authors Tobias Kollmann and Marc Heikaus take a look into the (near) future, the photographs by Vladimir Antaki (p. 116) take us back to a completely different world of retail and consumption. The good news for the year ahead could be: difficult times not only require
but also promote innovative and intelligent ideas! We wish you lots of them!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BANKS AND AUTHORITY BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

Those who had hoped that looking back on the past year would be much more positive than reviewing 2020 have now been disabused of their illusions. The pandemic is not over yet. Nevertheless, we have recently received more just-completed interior design projects than ever before, trade fairs have been held, such as the Cersaie in Bologna or major events such as the Expo 2020 in Dubai (from p. 10). People met at award ceremonies and general meetings – life almost felt normal again. We realised the great importance of face-to-face contact and conversations – more than ever – when researching projects on this issue’s topic of Banks and Authorities. We had already got used to banks being at the bottom of the construction task ranking list since the 2009 global financial crisis, and
to the fact that an increasing number of bank branches have quietly disappeared from the cityscape. In times of online banking and social distancing, however, the personal approach in an empathetic atmosphere seems more important than ever for building a trusting relationship. This applies to banks in Switzerland, Barcelona or Prague, but also to courthouses in Tübingen and Amsterdam and a law firm in Stuttgart. Where once it was important to convey security with intimidating authority, transparency and sympathy are now used to reduce anxieties, and only in a relaxed, feel-good atmosphere are the seeds sown for cooperation based on trust. This is also the concept of the Bank of the Future, which the Belgian interior designers at Creneau International developed for the ING Groep. Our AIT columnist Dominik Reding was particularly fortunate to be able to address his questions regarding the future of banks to a former classmate: in his essay, Dr. Karsten Junius, chief economist of a major private bank, answers his questions, taking a stand on both the architectural and ethical character of banks as a profound expert of the international financial scene. With Christmas gift tips for architects and interior designers we would like to thank you for your loyalty as our readers and wish you and your families a carefree and relaxed Christmas and a very much better, promising New Year! Stay healthy!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

HEALTH AND SPY

Dear Readers,

Recently, I was in a hospital. No, not as a patient and not even as a visitor – I had the opportunity to visit the first completed wards of the Nagold District Hospital before their official opening. The architectural offices dorner+partner from Altensteig and Heuser+Partner from Nagold are responsible for the overall refurbishment and extension of the complex, completed in 1977. The special aspect: the fathers of Achim and Lutz Dorner and Heidi and Peter Heuser, who run the two architectural firms today, had planned the new Nagold hospital at the time. If the next generation is allowed to carry on
the legacy of their parents, a quality that is getting on in years can be reliably transferred to the present day – a rare but ideal redevelopment situation. We will continue reporting in AIT 11.2022. For our current issue on healthcare and wellness, we researched worldwide for exceptional sports and wellness facilities and remarkable healthcare buildings. Again, we saw confirmation of how important – besides functionality – an empathetic atmosphere is. Achieving a successful mix of stimulating and calming design, thereby reducing fears and conveying a sense of security and confidence, is an important task that the interiors of hospitals and medical practices must take on. Ackermann+Raff, Stuttgart, however, had to deal with completely different challenges when building a new hospital in Myanmar. Specialists Christine Nickl-Weller and Hans Nickl take a look into the future in their article Corona Impulse and show how hospitals can learn from the pandemic. Since life is picking up speed again despite Covid-19, we can feature a follow-up report on the Supersalone in Milan and report on the INsider Awards 2021 retreat in the Palatinate region. And we would like to recommend a weekend in Zurich, a visit to Berlin’s Horseshoe Estate or a gastronomic tour of Stuttgart. But above all: stay healthy!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

the summer, which did not really feel like one, is coming to an end! Some fortunate ones were able to prolong it with a visit to the Venice Biennale or the Salone del Mobile in Milan. The last returning holidaymakers will go back to work, probably even to their real workplaces. Employers have to master the balancing act of allowing new freedoms without losing identity or loyalty to their company. There’s no doubt that Corona has redefined the future of work! Professor Mark Phillips and Angelika Donhauser have researched this at Coburg University of Applied Sciences and share their findings in their article The Third Place. One important finding is already a reality: If office work is to be done, it should take place in an environment that exudes empathy and offers plenty of free space for communication, interaction and relaxation. When searching for outstanding office projects for this issue, we discovered good examples of this. We show attractive workplaces. Plants play a major role, as do textiles, colours and individual conversion projects that generate identity. Students who miss the important personal exchange after months of home-studying would also be happy to return to their workplaces. Since 2015, we have been welcoming first-semester students of interior design and architecture with our AIT Welcome Campaign and rewarding Bachelor’s and Master’s graduates with a free AIT half-year subscription. Simply send your certificate of enrolment or proof of your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree plus your postal address to pstephan@ait-online.de! On the following pages, we will be happy to prove that this career choice has been the right one!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

the good news first: during the last lockdown, many retailers used the time to make their shops more attractive to customers – well aware that customers are looking forward to real shopping experiences after a long absence. The will to invest is thwarted by faltering supply chains and costs for fit-out materials and a shortage of craftsmen. Now who wants to be pessimistic? Certainly not us in this issue on sales and presentation! During my holidays in Thessaloniki, I was not able to wander through the redesigned Modiano Market Hall – because it is still under construction – but I discovered an aging but still very cheerfully coloured harbour building. Colours were definitely not used sparingly in the selected shopfitting and exhibition projects either! Pastel shades enhance the Pangaia pop-up shop in London, coral brings life to the Mykita eyewear shop in Berlin and yellow-orange makes the cannabis store in Toronto fit for society. The fact that the traditional Swabian department store Breuninger presents itself in Sachsenheim in sensual, exciting red was worthy of a cover design. Colours structure and highlight exhibition concepts, such as the one on Buckminster Fuller in Madrid or on the history of handbags in London, and they create visual stimuli for a broader audience. This is also the subject of our article Eye Candy, in which architecture journalist and szenography expert Janina Poesch writes about selfie museums and their instagrammability. Things will certainly be colourful at Art Basel from 24 to 26 September. Art enthusiasts should read our article A weekend in Basel. We visited a beautiful new building project in Ruit: Haus Liselotte was not colourful enough for this issue though, we´ll show it later! Stay healthy and happy!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

we had almost forgotten how to do it: booking flights, reserving hotel rooms, packing suitcases – none of that had happened in the last few months – until the Biennale Architettura summoned the press to Venice for the preview days in May (picture above). Having been postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 17th Architecture Biennale, curated by architect Hashim Sarkis, is open until 21 November, presenting 114 contributions from 46 countries. Besides impressions on the AIT Editors Blog on Facebook, we also present a small excerpt at the beginning of our Forum (pp. 10 – 11). You will see: A trip to Venice is definitely worthwhile! And it was also worth waiting for the new Berlin Capital Airport BER, which – barely opened on a modest scale in late October 2020 – has already been forced back into a slumber due to the second lockdown. When I travelled to the “Woman in architecture journalism” panel discussion (p. 14) in June and landed in Berlin-Schönefeld, I was able to see for myself that the airport is now completed and working – and also really good. Gerkan Marg und Partner have succeeded in creating an elegant, timeless interior, with varied catering and shopping facilities. In case you want to indulge your wanderlust soon, we can be of help. In the article “A weekend in …” (p. 30), architect and bag designer Esther Tsatsas takes you on a tour of Frankfurt. The series “Three…” (p. 34) features holiday homes in Mexico, on the Danish coast and in Bad Hindelang. The rest of our AIT issue on the subject of living is, of course, taken up by residential projects (from p. 68), which we have selected because they are refreshingly different and unconventional. The tiny flats in Stuttgart, Mantua, London and Singapore are real space miracles. The flats in Hamburg, Girona, Murcia, Madrid and Prague boast unusual interiors and floor plan solutions, and the apartment buildings in Basel and Vaduz do not cater to any single-family house cliché. We wish you a wonderful summer – on tour and at home!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BAR HOTEL RESTAURANT

Dear Readers,

The catering trade is still alive! We provide proof of this good news in this AIT issue on the subject of Bar Hotel Restaurant. In recent months, restaurateurs in particular have suffered from the pandemic-related restrictions – fortunate are those who were able to make a virtue out of necessity and used the lockdown to revise their concept or even make a fresh start. Such was the case at Stuttgart’s Classic Rock Café (above and from p. 68) and in the bars (from p. 72), restaurants (from p. 76) and hotels (from p. 96) in Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London, Basel, Valencia and Barcelona. The “Women in Architecture Festival Berlin 2021”, which started on June 1, still has to take place largely without female visitors. This has encouraged us to feature a special section to show that women are more present in (interior) architecture than ever before! Starting on page 10, we focus on “Women in (Interior) Architecture” with a selection of portraits of female (interior) architects, a calendar of events and interviews with outstanding representatives of our profession. The series section also revolves around female protagonists: architecture professor and writer Dr. Jana Revedin (from p. 30) describes the lives of three strong women in architecture and culture in her books. In the series “Living in Icons” (from p. 34), Daniela Keck describes the impressively passionate and to this day female-led (building) history of Briol; and Gisa Lankenfeld and Ann-Sophie Lehmann present their master’s thesis “Adventure Bath for the Senses” (from p. 36) at the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences. Our literature tips (from p. 64) recommend new publications on tourism, catering and women in architecture, interior design and art. Needless to say, the majority of our selected catering projects were developed by women
or with their involvement. In the table of contents, the articles are all marked accordingly. This makes it crystal clear: The future of (interior) architecture is female! Well, we knew that already!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

the Child Day Care Act in Baden-Württemberg was passed almost exactly twelve years ago. The consequences of this decision are increasingly becoming a built reality and were now expressed in a plethora of submissions of day care centre project for this issue on public buildings. Good concepts, imaginative ideas and individual solutions… we present a small selection (from p. 60). To live up to our claim of diversity, we also feature schools (from p. 74), libraries (from p. 88) and churches (from p. 96). The fact that political decisions — such as the one in 2011 on the introduction of community schools in Baden-Württemberg — can ultimately lead to very satisfactory, architectural solutions despite lengthy processes is shown in our article “Learning Organism” (from p. 104). Stefan Rappold, partner in the architectural firm Behnisch, and Jens Fischer, chairman of the Filderstadt parents’ association, each describe from how the customised, architectural concept for the Gotthard Müller School can effectively support modern pedagogy. The fate of the educational institutions presented is currently a changeful one. All cultural institutions currently share this fate. In Lauterhofen, Berschneider + Berschneider have converted a listed malthouse (from p. 110) into a multifunctional cultural meeting place. It already enriches the town centre, but it remains to be seen when events will be held there again. When did you last see the inside of a concert hall? The pictures of concert halls in our series Photo and Space (from p. 118) should whet your appetite for the return of music. And when travelling is possible again, the first place we recommend is — Vienna (p. 28): our colleague Kira Kawohl takes you on a tour of her former home of choice! Everything will be all right!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

What seemed to be a short-term emergency solution has become a permanent institution in our working world over the past few months: the home office. So-called remote working has advanced from a stopgap solution to a new form of collaboration and raises the question of what the future of the classic office will look like after corona. According to surveys, home workers mainly miss physical encounters, communication with colleagues, quick, spontaneous exchanges in the tea kitchen. If complex tasks are to be solved in a creative community, office space will still be needed in the future, but will have to adapt to or complement the new requirements. Agility is the magic word! The new working model of the future is based on places of retreat for focused work. Cosy, individual and attractive furnishings promote the well-being of employees, their sense of belonging and their loyalty to the company. For our office issue at hand, we looked for and found convincing examples: excitingly different co-working spaces in Berlin, Barcelona and Minnesota and identity-creating company headquarters in Schlins, Madrid, Munich, Darmstadt and Berlin may serve as inspiration for you. The selected products for offices areas (from p. 42) and the optimisation of office acoustics (from p. 52) are intended to support you with the furnishing. We find it very interesting to look behind the scenes of planning offices. What is the outcome when interior designers or architects plan their own premises? Starting on page 86, we feature five recently designed interior/architectural offices: those of Coordination Berlin, schleicher.ragaller (picture above), Bernardo Bader, Georg Bechter (picture right) and cyrus moser. Eiermann desks, Bisley containers and galvanised industrial shelving are ancient history! The photo series “Restlicht” by HGEsch on the Osram Headquarters in Munich by Walter Henn (from p. 116) shows the transience of office giants — eerily beautiful! This is how diverse the office can be.

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

At present, everyone is chuffed about positive news, especially when it concerns one’s own professional environment. Booming housing construction is helping the industry overcome the corona crisis, reports the Baden-Württemberg Construction Industry Association. Private housebuilding in particular has become “an important pillar for the overall economy”. In times of crisis, say construction experts, many people appreciate their own four walls even more as an important retreat. The call to work from home and the persistently low interest rates are reinforcing this — admittedly — imposed trend. The inspiring selection of projects in this issue on the subject of living comes at just the right time. From the 100-square-metre flat in Liguria with practical and aesthetic ideas to the 2000-square-metre hunting lodge in Lower Austria, there is something for every need and budget. The student article “Sustainable
Living”, in which a team of students from TU Delft presents their contribution to sustainable rental housing concepts in the Netherlands, highlights that living has to be much more than a private retreat. In “Living for all”, housing sociologist Dr. Gerd Kuhn describes the concept of the Wolle+ Building Community in Tübingen, which is testing new strategies for integrating people from different living and income situations, social and cultural backgrounds. Die Baupiloten have converted a student residence from 1961 in Berlin’s Hansaviertel into the inclusive student housing complex Teamplayer. His residential buildings are still — or again — architectural icons: The great architect Wolfgang Döring, who died last November at the age of 86, is commemorated by our AIT columnist Dominik Reding in a very personal tribute to his former professor. A must-read — now is the time!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

Promise! I will never again complain about the stress of attending too many trade fairs at the beginning of the year! What used to make us pack our suitcases in mid-January — the trade fairs Heimtextil, Domotex, Bau and imm cologne — is now sorely missed. It was with great melancholy that we edited this AIT issue on the topic of Sales and Presentation. When
we selected the projects last November, there was still hope for the industry of a lucrative Christmas business. Today we know that all efforts to control the spread of the virus failed
and many retailers had to close their shops before Christmas. The selected supermarkets in Essen and Monza, and the market hall in Sanremo are still allowed to sell groceries, the fate
of the hair salons in Nara, Japan, or Braga, Portugal, the exhibitions and galleries and the shops in Leipzig, London or Utrecht depends on regional regulations. Opticians, on the other
hand, are considered system-relevant and are allowed to stay open — in our series “Three … Optician’s” we show the Hungry Eyes Store in Stuttgart, Krass Optik in Potsdam and the P.Y.E.
Store in Petersburg. No doubt: Golden days for retail look different! This makes the article “Social Commerce” all the more important. The authors — Severin Küppers and Kostas Medugorac
— show how shop design can work in times of a pandemic. With the help of dedicated (interior) architecture jurors, we proved that AIT Innovation Awards can work without a trade fair. Despite the cancellation of Orgatec, we held the Architecture+ Office Innovation Award in Köln (p. 112). And with the help of our new collegues Kira Kawohl and Stephan Faulhaber (right), we will continue to master the tasks that lie ahead of us in the New Year. Courage, imagination and confidence are also good tools. I wish us all plenty of all!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BANKS AND AUTHORITY BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

we look back on a year of challenges. It is pointless to list all the things we missed in 2020, all the places we did not visit and all the things we planned but could not implement. However, we were also able to observe that particular appreciation has been shown for our editorial work in recent months: that our readers have more time and interest in reading well-researched and well-designed print products, that (interior) architecture firms are now more committed to office marketing and to preparing their completed projects for publication, and that companies — for lack of trade fair encounters — are increasingly seizing the opportunity to inform (interior) architects about their products through AIT. The fact that we have managed to send all ten AIT issues to our subscribers on time in this demanding year and organised two Innovation Awards (Architecture+ Technology for Light+Building from p. 118) despite the cancellation of trade fairs is owed to a very committed editorial team, above all my deputy, Dr. Uwe Bresan. With this issue on banks and public authorities, his work for AIT comes full circle. Since joining us in 2008, he has — believe it or not — accompanied, supported and conceived 125 issues of AIT with great dedication and competence. Endowed with an unerring feeling for news, with a sound knowledge of architecture, architectural theory and design, with a constant curiosity about people, projects and products, with a passion for the written word and his delight in communication in any form and at any time, Uwe was not only the perfect colleague but also a good friend, whom we wish the very best for his future. I think that only the upcoming Christmas period can give this exhausting year a positive turn. We would like to contribute to this and invite you to take part in our annual AIT Christmas raffle. On page 58 you will find out what presents you can expect if you send an e-mail with your address to weihnachten@ait-online.de by 11 December. We would like to thank you for being a loyal reader and wish you and your families a merry, relaxed Christmas holiday and a much better, healthy and peaceful 2021!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

  READING SAMLPE ??

BÜRO UND VERWALTUNG

Liebe Leserinnen, liebe Leser,

in die Ferne zu schweifen ist ja im Moment nicht so das Thema – umso besser, wenn gute Projekte und Fotomotive ganz nah sind. Zum Fototermin (Bild links) in der ehemaligen
Daimler-Hauptverwaltung in Stuttgart-Möhringen war es ein Katzensprung. 1990 von BHLM Architekten aus Düsseldorf für 3000 Daimler-Mitarbeiter gebaut, harrt die Zentrale inzwischen
neuer Nutzer. Für einen davon, die Agentur Full Moon Group, hat die Stuttgarter Innenarchitektin Sandra Scalici ein identitätsstiftendes Interieur entworfen – mehr Bilder vom
Mond auf Seite 96! Für die restlichen Projekte in unserer Ausgabe zum Thema Büro und Verwaltung haben wir wie immer weit über den Stuttgarter Kesselrand hinausgeblickt und sind
(ab S. 84) in Thalgau, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Shizuoka, New York, Lissabon, Valencia, Hamburg und Plössberg fündig geworden. Allesamt beispielhafte Büroprojekte, die wunderbar
eigenständig und markant sind – archaisch, eklektisch, brutalistisch, regenbogenfarbig, retrofuturistisch, monochrom oder hölzern. Leider wird uns im Büroarbeitsalltag das Thema
soziale Distanz und Homeoffice noch eine Zeitlang begleiten. Dafür können wir die Vielzahl ausgesuchter Möbelprogramme, spezieller Trennwände und hilfreicher Produkte (ab S. 54)
nur wärmstens empfehlen. In unserer Mai-Ausgabe haben wir den Aufruf des Münchner Architekten Florian Bengert unterstützt, ihm Grundrisszeichnungen neu entstandener Heimarbeitsplätze
zuzuschicken. Mehr als 800 eingereichte Zeichnungen hat Bengert zu einer riesigen Collage verarbeitet. Ausschnitte aus diesem sogenannten No-Stop Homeoffice zeigen wir auf den Seiten 8/9, 28/29 und 48/49 – eine Inspirationsquelle mit Wimmelbildcharakter! Vieles nimmt in diesem Jahr nicht seinen gewohnten Gang: Wer sich für ein Studium der Architektur
oder Innenarchitektur entschieden hat oder mit dem Masterstudium beginnt, sieht dem Semesterstart im Oktober sicherlich mit Skepsis entgegen. Wie geht Studieren in Zeiten
von Corona? Wir freuen uns auf jeden Fall sehr über alle engagierten jungen KollegINNen und unterstützen den Einstieg ins Studium oder belohnen den Abschluss wie immer mit unserem
AIT-Willkommenspaket! Ob Erstsemester, Bachelor- oder Masterabsolvent: Die entsprechende Bescheinigung und die Postadresse (für den Geschenkversand!) einfach an pstephan@
ait-online.de mailen – und gerne weitersagen! Wir wünschen allen einen grandiosen Start ins Studium oder in den Traumberuf – auch und erst recht in Zeiten wie diesen!

Bleiben Sie gesund und zuversichtlich!

Mit besten Grüßen
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chefredakteurin
Architektin

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

A year ago, I promised you a report on the progress of renovation works on the Modiano market hall in Thessaloniki. Well, the holiday in Greece had to be cancelled due to corona, and the same applies to the completion of the renovation. The big celebration of two milestone birthdays was also cancelled: my colleague Dr. Uwe Bresan and I wanted to drink a toast with friends to 100 years of life in all. Nevertheless, I got a present from my dear colleagues — my dream handbag from Tsatsas! The fact that I didn’t even have to enter a shop like Hermes (picture above) makes the gift even more valuable.
From the outside, the new building by wulf architekten in Stuttgart is much more attractive anyway. I feel exactly like our columnist Benjamin Reding in his essay “Hands off! (p. 42): I don’t like shopping, I didn’t like it before corona and certainly not online! One thing is certain: The interior design incentive
must be very high for me to get lost in a shop or mall. What is also certain, however, is that the projects we have selected for this issue on sales and presentation are capable of luring me into the shops. This is very understandable in the case of the fashion stores in Los Angeles, Fukuoka and Shenzhen
— if one could fly there! However, I would venture into the bridal fashion shops in Munich and in Petrer in Spain just for the interior. And that it is possible with interior design means to give a parcel shop in Helsinki (from p. 94) and a funeral parlour in London a striking appearance and functional appeal
is worth more than just a look inside. In light of current events, architect Christoph Stelzer from the Stuttgart retail agency dfrost reports on the design of the point of sale in times of corona and beyond (p. 102), and anyone wondering what the future holds for trade fairs will be interested in the article
“Trade Fair 2021” (p. 106). The Potsdam-based communications agency ad modum has interviewed creative people worldwide — we present the answers. Stay healthy and confident!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

in recent months, the subject of housing has taken on a whole new dimension worldwide. In the weeks of the lockdown, all family members had to come to terms with what their domestic environment had to offer. All sorts of things in need of improvement have caught the eye, and it is not without reason that DIY stores were attested systemic relevance. Besides home office and child care, the optimisation of one’s house and garden, apartment and balcony (picture above) gained undreamt-of importance. It would be positive if it were to become generally accepted that experts, i.e. architects and interior designers, should be engaged for the design of one’s home. Reality shows, that the average family of four can no longer serve as a blueprint for residential buildings. The demands on accommodation have changed in terms of both the number of residents and diversity. Selected projects starting on page 60 demonstrate that unusual ways of living require tailored living environments. Russian interior designer Harry Nuriev and his partner Tyler Billinger have their own special way of living in New York (p. 90), and London-based architect Alex Scott-Whitby had to tackle a very special commission for a triangular relationship (p. 104). The latest furniture designs that would have been exhibited at the Salone del Mobile in Milan — if it had taken place — are also nowhere near off-the-peg. We will nevertheless show you our Salone Highlights (p. 28). The first appointment after the lockdown took us to Bad Liebenzell, where Ippolito Fleitz Group had developed an impressive installation for Object Carpet with their carpets (picture on the right), planned for the Milan Design Week.

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BAR HOTEL RESTAURANT

Dear Readers,

Between the two photos on this page are just a few weeks, which turned out to be the toughest test for the catering industry worldwide. La Visione (picture on the left and p. 84) entertained its guests for just five weeks before the lockdown forced the restaurant to close. The Italo Disco restaurant (picture above and p. 88) had to postpone its opening planned for mid-March.

Photographer Andreas Reiner has captured the fate of restaurateurs in his home region of Upper Swabia during this forced close-down in impressive black-and-white photographs. We present a selection of them, starting on page 116.

Hardly any other industry was affected by the Corona pandemic as early and as directly as the catering industry. Restrictions ranged from the cancellation of major events, to the complete closure of catering establishments, to strict hygiene and distancing regulations, causing many people employed in the catering industry to fear for their livelihood. And their hardships affect us all! Seldom before have we been made aware of how important cafés, bars, pubs and restaurants are as meeting places or retreats for our social, cultural and emotional well-being. Just imagine what closed restaurants and the absence of outdoor cafés would do to our cityscapes!

Numerous projects featured in this AIT issue on the subject of “Bar Hotel Restaurant” prove that gastronomic projects are also implemented with a great deal of imagination, dedication and enthusiasm for design. During the editorial work, we worried together with the restaurateurs about whether all restaurants would be open again on the publication date. The positive developments in recent weeks are a sign: we can and should finally dine out again!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

until recently it was unimaginable: At the time of our editorial deadline, all public buildings that we present to you in this AIT issue — and not only those — are closed! Whether kindergarten, school, university, library or church; whether in Cologne, Stuttgart, Basel, Zurich, Helsinki, Prague, London or Toronto — all of them, around the world! Obviously, a construction task aimed at generating community, security and integration does not serve the currently demanded isolation. How important classrooms and the didactic activities offered in them are for children of all ages, became clear to most families in the compulsory community at home. The joy will be immense when the institutions are open again. If you are currently planning a facility for children, you will find suitable furnishing suggestions starting on page 54. It was fortunate that Domenik Schleicher and Michael Ragaller had already given us an exclusive guided tour (picture on the right) of the renovated Church of St. Fidelis in Stuttgart (picture above) in December, and that they were able to explain to us the impressive concept of the transformation into a spiritual church music centre (p. 102). The Light & Building trade fair in Frankfurt was one of the first events to be postponed. Our article Light & Shadow (p. 26) presents current luminaire design. We have set up a special service for all AIT and XIA subscribers whose offices are currently deserted and whose employees work at home. Our magazines
should be available to all readers despite the difficult circumstances. Therefore, we will send the e-papers of our current issues to you and your employees in your home office. All you have to do: send an e-mail to pstephan@ait-online.de! You will then receive access to the current e-paper issues of AIT and XIA. Stay healthy and cheerful!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

who would have expected that! In times of social distancing, the office workplace suddenly comes into focus. After all, it has to meet extremely contradictory requirements and master real challenges. On the one hand, close cooperation, smooth communication and inspiring interaction seem to be the company’s recipe for success. On the other hand, the possibility of personal retreat and considered distance should preserve the health and productivity of employees. Offices with an intelligent and professional design can do both, we found out after selecting the projects for this AIT issue on Offices and Administration. The skilful mix of flexibly separable work areas and individually configurable situations in the open-plan office allows targeted responses to special requirements. The best project examples from Stuttgart, Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg, Monthey in Switzerland, Westouter in Belgium, London, Taipei and Mumbai can be found from page 76 onwards. We present selected well-designed office furniture and functional acoustic products from page 52 onwards. At the trade fairs in Frankfurt and Milan, we wanted to get even
more inspiration for office furnishings, but that didn’t come about. The last events we were able to attend were the presentation of the INsider Award 2019 (picture on the right) and the EuroShop in Düsseldorf. You find details about the most exciting presentations starting on page 28. The large number of guests at the 12th INsider Award ceremony for the best interior design achievements is certainly due to the great popularity this annual meeting of interior specialists enjoys and the already legendary internal networking. There is also agreement among the INsiders about the award’s significance: being nominated or even winning is definitely beneficial to the number of commissions. This issue features excellent examples by Seel Bobsin Partner (p. 90), Scope Architekten (p. 94), Lepel & Lepel (p. 114) and Studio Komo (p.76; picture above). Please send your nomination for the next award to pstephan@ait-online.de!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

when architects design and furnish their own home, they usually come up with something very special. The advantage of being both client and planner is that you can try out innovative and experimental ideas. For three years now, architect Peter Ippolito and textile designer Stefan Gabel have been living in their renovated Wilhelminianstyle maisonette in Stuttgart (see AIT 3.2017) and during our recent visit (top) we were able to see that the storytelling of the apartment is still true: The rooms with their strong character unfold a fascinating kaleidoscope of scenarios and yet have lost nothing of their topicality. The new building Parler Research 39 in Stuttgart (from p. 68) by Alexander Brenner is just as contemporary. However, sustainability also involves the responsible use of land and building resources, is our conclusion after selecting the projects for this AIT issue on housing. Particularly individual solutions are offered by existing rooms and buildings after conversion and renovation, such as the maisonette in Olot, the student fraternity house in Munich, the old apartment in Madrid, the weekend house near Prague or the stone house ensemble in Ticino. We also present the trends and new products from the Cologne furniture fair imm cologne (p. 30) and from Heimtextil and Domotex (p. 60). Since we not only want to write about responsibility and sustainability, but also act accordingly, we will be dispensing with film packaging when mailing the AIT issues to our subscribers from 2020. If you do not agree with this, please write to me at pstephan@ait-online.de! If you feel the same way, thank you very much for your support!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

Have you started the New Year with plenty of good intentions? We had planned to gear down in 2020, on ly to find out that the first trade fairs already start in the second week of January! Heimtextil in Frankfurt attracted architects and interior designers with the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality platform. Domotex in Hanover invited this target group to exhibitions and lectures in Hall 8 on the subject of Atmysphere (photo above), whereas in Cologne, the imm cologne had prepared itself for the rush of visitors. The first issue of XIA by AIT, our architecture magazine, was on display at all our stands (top photo). Following a relaunch in January, XIA by AIT is now published with new content and layout four times a year. A positive side effect of the trade fairs: We were able to observe the reactions of interested readers and ask for their opinions – it seems that we did many things right! This can also be said about the (interior) architects whose shop fitting and exhibition stand projects we have selected for this AIT issue on retail and presentation. Market halls (p.36), outlets, flagship stores, showrooms, trade fair booths, exhibitions (from p. 60), even a dry cleaner (p. 82) and a tattoo studio (p. 88) are among the impressive examples from Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Montreal, Moscow, Odessa, Paris, London, Vienna, Frankfurt/Main and Cologne. In addition, stand designer Andreas Müller gives practical tips on the right lighting in stand construction (p. 120), and Valentina Kinzel presents her design for a special beverage store (p. 106). What happens when shopping centres have served their time and are left to decay is shown by Seph Lawless in his photo series “Dead Malls” (p. 110): sometimes high design quality wins out over the destructive influences of vandalism or nature. The article “A weekend in … Urbino” (from p. 30) by our colleague Dr. Uwe Bresan is highly recommended! The prospect of sunny days in the Marche region is a perfect way to get through the cold and wet months.

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BANK AND AUTHORIRY BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

it is in the nature of things to look back at the end of the year. We prefer to look forward resolutely and make the best of the new year. For us this means: After our colleague, xia editor-in-chief Friedrich Dassler retired last summer, we will relaunch our building construction magazine in January 2020. For 25 years and in 107 issues of xia Intelligente Architektur, Friedrich Dassler has contributed to making building more environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and sustainable – we would like to express our thanks once again! We now have both the opportunity and the obligation to take on this legacy and lead it successfully into the future. On 3 January 2020, xia by AIT 1.2020 will be published with a new layout, in German and English, with an expanded scope and a new editorial focus – according to the motto: “Good architecture has to burn, it has to flow, rise into the air and yet be firmly anchored in the ground!” Be curious – we have made every effort! However, this did not stop us from approaching this AIT issue on banks and authorities, with the usual commitment. It becomes evident that this building task in particular is subject to major structural changes, as it reflects, both in the financial and in the social field, what society and the individual citizen expects from these institutions. Today’s banks are straightforward, friendly and transparent; public authorities are open, bright and empathetic – customer friendliness is a top priority. See for yourself from page 92! As every year, Christmas is just around the corner, so we invite you to take part in our annual AIT Christmas raffle. On page 90 you can see the gifts await you. Just send us an e-mail with your address to weihnachten@ait-online.de by 16 December. We thank you for your loyalty and wish you a relaxing Christmas and a peaceful 2020!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

HEALTH AND SPA

Dear Readers,

This is what hospitals in Provence can look like (picture above) – if they were built at the end of the 18th century. At that time, a building typology based on the needs of hospitals and patients was obviously still a long way away. The advantage: in the following decades, the historic building could be converted into a school, a residential building and finally a wine cellar. We discovered the multifunctional building in Avignon, where this year’s INsider Award took us. Since 2008, we have been inviting nominated interior designers to a colloquium to select the best in the industry. Find the winners of the INsiders on page 17! Back to health care facilities: The balancing act between functional processes, technical and hygienic requirements and an atmosphere conducive to healing is certainly a major challenge. For our AIT issue on “Health and Wellness”, we set out to find projects where, after fulfilling the technical specifications, there was still the budget for and the will to design an interior that conveys security and confidence. The dental practices in Berlin, Stuttgart and Asheville (p.68 ff.) and the Blood Donation Room in Hamburg (p.82) are anything but sterile and frightening. The projects in Utrecht, Barcelona and Heidelberg (p.84 ff.) clearly illustrate the importance of a protective, relaxing environment for cancer patients. Maggie Keswick Jencks came to this conclusion in 1993. Having fallen ill with cancer herself, she and her husband Charles Jencks laid an architectural foundation for cancer patients to be absorbed by an environment that would allow them to forget the disease and contribute to healing. Meanwhile, 22 Maggie’s Centres have been opened – designed by renowned architects, the latest one in Barcelona (p.88). Maggie Keswick Jencks did not live to see this success, she died of her illness in 1995. On October 13, her husband, the great architect of postmodernism and architectural theorist Charles Jencks, died at the age of 80 – 24 years after the first Maggie’s Centre was opened in Scotland.

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

custom-made workplaces where people feel so comfortable that they no longer want to go home? A dream when you spend at least a third of their day in the office. A selection of projects for this AIT issue on the subject of Office and Administration shows the results when you are employer, user, client and planning architect in personal union. The two architectural offices in Barcelona (p. 144, p. 150) are less than 70 square metres in area, but make up for this with a wealth of sophisticated spatial solutions. In a former locomotive shed in Mannheim (p. 166), Jarcke Architects set up inspiring workplaces, and we
had the opportunity to see for ourselves the design and feel-good qualities of the interiors of Studio Komo and Scope Architects (p. 146, top picture) in Stuttgart at their opening celebrations in July and September. But when did the notion develop that you should actually feel comfortable at your workplace? On page 156, cultural historian Hajo Eickhoff explains how closely the well-being of employees is linked to the history of the office. October is an important month for young interior designers and architects: anyone who has decided to study architecture or interior design is awaiting the introductory course for the first semester. We are very much looking forward to all committed young colleagues and are again supporting the entry into university with our AIT Welcome Package! Many of the students who signed up for our first semester campaign a few years ago were awarded their bachelor’s degree at the end of this summer semester. Since we still remember the exhausting and demanding final stretch before graduating, we would like to reward all architecture and interior design graduates with a surprise gift! Whether you are a freshman, bachelor or master graduate, simply mail the corresponding certificate and your postal address (for sending gifts!) to pstephan@ait-online – you are welcome to pass that on! In any case, we wish you a brilliant start to your studies and your career!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

my city tip after this year’s summer holiday is definitely Thessaloniki! Not only because of the picturesque markets with the air of bygone times, with an exuberant assortment of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and bread through to small pieces of furniture (picture above), clothing, bags, books and jewellery. Anyone who has ever strolled through the Mondiano Market Hall or the halls of the Kapani Market in Thessaloniki’s old town remembers very rudimentary shopping experiences seeing, touching, smelling, tasting – while all this is accompanied by the screams of the market traders. Wonderful! Hopefully, the architects from Sparch, who are to transfer the Mondiano Hall into the present by mid-2020, will be able to preserve precisely these qualities. I’ll check next summer!

That’s exactly what it’s all about nowadays, when stationary retailers want to keep pace with online trading: it’s about shopping experiences with all senses. Sales expert Uwe Günter von Pritzbuer states in his article “Zum Anfassen” (p. 124), “In online shopping, three out of five senses are neglected, only hearing and seeing are addressed. With about 30,000 advertising messages hailing down on each of us every day of which apparently only 52
can be perceived it seems only logical to address the customer emotionally, i.e. haptically.

The shops, stores, boutiques, food courts, bakeries, wine cellars even the car wash that we have selected for this issue on “Sales and Presentation” (starting on page 76) perfectly meet this requirement and also look excitingly different. And because an idea is always only half as good as its implementation, we have compiled products (p. 68), books (p. 72), wallpapers and wall paints (from page 58) to match the magazine’s theme.

Patina is certainly the design bracket of our “Lojas com História” photo series (starting on page 128), showing the cultural heritage of Lisbon in photographs of historical shops. Even back then, people knew that shopping with all your senses would stimulate business!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

“What we call good design is one which achieves integrity that is, unity or wholeness in balanced relation to its environment,” said the American architect George Nelson (1908-1986). The Marshmallow sofa and the Sunflower wall clock (top picture, VitraHaus) are among his best-known creations and can still be found in the homes of design-loving mid-century fans. Nelson’s design attitude is probably based on his deep realisation “that human needs are diverse, often unpredictable and hardly quantifiable, but at the same time complex, subtle and mysterious”. Well, living solutions need to be developed for this demanding target group. Compulsory exercise or freestyle for interior designers and architects? Today, we can still learn from Nelson’s reflections that there is no universal answer to the question of how to live. The attraction of this project type lies rather in the enormous range of most diverse requirements and the equally diverse possibilities to meet them in creative, functional and emotional terms. Whether an architect with a dog in an apartment in Madrid (p. 76), a carcass turned into a family loft in Amsterdam (p. 80), living under a church roof in London (p. 94) or emptiness as a luxury in Lisbon (p. 106) – all are as different as their occupants and the corresponding surroundings and full of inspiring design ideas! Light is indispensable for every type of living, and we will show you many solutions for it in our trade fair report on Euroluce in Milan (p. 32). Interior designer and lighting expert Heiko Gruber has shared his favourite luminaires with us. Sanitation is indispensable for every household. We recommend reading our corresponding product focus (p. 68) from a design point of view and the article “Urine Trap” (p. 136) under ethical aspects. “Stille Örtchen” (p. 48) can be a design or a social topic. In any case, this would make the strenuous years of travelling much easier for the protagonists of “Kluft und Haut” (p. 122) – a great picture story by the Reding brothers!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BAR HOTEL RESTAURANT

Dear Readers,

Unfortunately, the above picture was not taken at a nice hotel pool, but at the Weltevree stand at Ventura Centrale during the Salone del Mobile. Before we started researching for this AIT, we had to work through the press souvenirs collected in Milan (left). Our trade fair report (p. 34) presents the essence of innovations in the furniture industry. It is convenient that (interior) architects who are currently equipping a gastronomic project will find what they are looking for there and in our product focus on outdoor solutions (starting on p. 86). The positive conclusion after reading should be: The range of well-designed furniture is more extensive than ever before. Most manufacturers are meeting the increased demand for gastronomy furniture with intelligent furniture series. The striking
feature: The boundaries between inside and outside, between gastronomy and living are blurred. Our author Dr. Oliver Herwig also notes this when he claims in his article “Hotelification” (p. 146) that hotel interiors increasingly influence our private living environment. The fact that every German spends more than 1000 euros per year on a holiday trip also explains why hotels and restaurants are springing up everywhere. That’s why we didn’t just research the locations for this gastronomy issue at our desks: We visited projects in Salzburg, Vienna, Bolzano, Milan, Istanbul, and Triest – where we slept, ate, and drank. Thanks to our home advantage in Stuttgart, we were able to convince ourselves personally (not only) of the interior quality of Büffel & Bier, Kaiser und Schmarrn, and Schwarzwald im Gerber. In Sexten, northern Italy, architect Michael Ragaller was a guest at the Tre Cime Hotel (p. 60). More first-hand information is hardly possible! We wish you a sunny summer and many inspirations for your upcoming holiday!

Best Wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

if you think that we are only interested in ready-made interiors and trendy design fairs, you are wrong! While researching for our issue on the topic of public buildings, we visited a construction site in Hanover. There, interior works for the school “Schule auf der Bult” (top picture) are in their final stages. Architect Gesche Grabenhorst guided us through the largest state special school for emotional and social development in Lower Saxony and explained the design. However, the care and responsibility with which buildings for children have to be planned was already noticeable on the construction site. Public institutions in particular are supposed to implement what is the original responsibility of society: creating security, imparting know ledge, offering structures, promoting individuality, enabling community, practising tolerance, … Achieving this was a prerequisite for the selection of the projects we present from page 76 onwards. The Evangelical Church of Lower Saxony currently supports this special demand on youth rooms for its young parishioners. On the initiative of Pastor Mathis Burfien, the youth devotion award entitled „Dein Wort in Gottes Ohr“ (From Your Lips to God’s Ear) was recently announced. The jury selected the best four projects from 94 competition entries, and at the award ceremony in the Loccum Abbey in Lower Saxony, the prize-winners learned
that the regional church was donating a new youth room to their respective youth groups. The designs are the result of a semester project at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, where Prof. Gesche Grabenhorst teaches design. When the next jury meeting is due in June, we will know which concepts will actually be implemented.

Best Wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

Since we have selected the projects for our AIT issue on the subject of ‘Office and Administration’, we are well aware of what an office furnished with great attention to detail, design competence, and consideration for functional and ergonomic requirements must look like today. We focused on unusual concepts, the exemplary use of materials and colours, as well as identity-creating unique features. However, taking a look behind the scenes is particularly exciting for us: Where are these spaces planned and in which environment do the architects themselves work? Recently, I had the opportunity to see an office structure that had evolved over 50 years in Vienna – during a visit to the office premises of Coop Himmelb(l)au (top picture). Wolf D. Prix (picture on the right) gave a breath-taking tour of major international projects that still bear the deconstructivist, fascinating signature of the three founders, Wolf D. Prix, Helmut Swiczinsky, and Michael Holzer. Current projects in Vienna can also be found in this issue: from page 122 on, we feature the office of Agenda Austria, based on a design by Vienna-based architectural firm gaupenraub +/-, and on page 40, in the series ‘Three… Wine Architectures’ the Colono Wine Shop in Vienna by the Spanish architect duo Serrano + Baquero. For those who prefer to travel far afield or still need a recommendation for a trip during the Easter holidays, the article by Dr. Micha Gross from Switzerland, founder of the Bauhaus Centre in Tel Aviv, is highly recommended: He takes the readers on ‘A Weekend in … Tel Aviv’ (page 48) and guides them – among other things – to the most impressive architectural icons of the White City. How do you feel about plants in the office? There’s hardly any chance of doing without them, one might think after taking a look at current office projects. I rather agree with artist Saskia Groneberg: When photographed and printed, the office plant (from page 140) does not even have to be watered. We wish you a happy Easter!

Best Wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

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LIVING

Liebe Leserinnen, liebe Leser,

Slow Living seems to be the latest living trend, at least according to trend researchers, influencers, and Instagramers. It is actually only consistent that – analogous to Slow Food – the topic of living is finally seriously discussed, reflected, and charged with concepts such as sustainability and authenticity, quality and value. The definition of the Scandinavian concept of hygge seemed too vague; after all, cosiness is something anyone can do, and it is hardly verifiable. What distinguishes Slow Living? I asked myself this question, for example, when I was walking through the exhibition halls on the occasion of imm cologne (top: at the Walter Knoll stand). Obvious characteristics are ice cream colours, natural materials, craftsmanship, and soft surfaces. Apparently only perceptible on a profound level of meaning: sustainability through beauty, outdoor is the new indoor, green always works, and modern glam through metallic! But see for yourself when you read our major follow-up report on the international furnishing fair! The latest textiles and floor coverings are a perfect match – find out what we brought along from the Heimtextil and Domotex trade fairs from page 72 onwards. However, venturing out onto the thin ice of such fashion trends is off the cards in architecture. It would mean abandoning the claim to timelessness and social relevance. The projects we have selected for this AIT issue on “Living” certainly cannot be accused of this. What they all have in common, however, is that they react to the increasing scarcity of building land and, at the same time, the increasing demand for living space. From page 84 onwards, you will therefore find numerous unusual housing solutions
that have earned the title of slow – in the sense of good and sustainable: refurbishments, conversions, extensions, additional storeys, densification, new uses, Tiny Houses. In their essay “Susu Carrot” (from p. 60), our AIT columnists Dominik and Benjamin Reding have expressed in a subtle and hardly misleading way what they think about living trends. A true pleasure to read that not only makes you smile but also makes you think!

Mit besten Grüßen
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chefredakteurin
Architektin

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RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

Did you have a good start into the new year? We very much hope so! In our case, it started with the trade fairs relevant to interior design and architecture in January. So all the members of the AIT editorial team dutifully commuted back and forth between Frankfurt to Heimtextil, Hanover to Domotex (picture at the top), Cologne to imm cologne, and Munich to Bau. On facebook, we’ll show you all the new, surprising, and even bizarre things we’ve discovered – and in a well-sorted and edited version in the next AIT issue in March. Before we set out, we got the present issue on “Sales and Presentation” off to the printers. To this end, we battled our way through an incredible variety of retail projects from all over the world to find out once again that the spectre of online trading is more likely to fuel the retail trade than to cut the ground from under its’s feet! Quite the contrary: in the meantime, even online providers are renting retail space to make “real” customer contacts! According to surveys, customers love unusual product presentations, an authentic feel-good atmosphere, a high level of service, and well-trained staff. These are characteristics only the retail trade can show to best advantage and should continue to do so in the future. The best examples start on page 68. In their article “The Selfie Store” (starting on page 114), Christoph Stelzer and Nadine Frommer from the retail identity agency Dfrost reflect on how even the demands of the Instagram generation regarding shopfitting can be met. New year – new AIT colours! In 2019, the colour selection of Adelaide Testa and Andrea Marcante (picture on the right) will lead you through the magazine layout. The Turin-based architects (also see AIT 7/8.2018; residential building Urban Décor) have also developed the colour graphics (pp. 8/9, 34/35, and 50/51), which separate our three different magazine sections from each other. And what do you think of our current AIT title? What does it have to do with sales and presentation? Find out on page 108 – the topic can be so diverse!

Best Wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BANKS AND AUTHORITY BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

a year of biennials is coming to a close! Whether the Architecture Biennale in Venice, the Biennale Interieur in Kortrijk, Orgatec in Cologne or Designers´ Saturday in Langenthal – it feels as if twice as many events take place in even years as in odd years. Yet, the AIT editorial staff can also look back upon a successful year: our highlight surely was the award as Best Trade Journal of 2018, which we celebrated in Berlin in May and in Stuttgart in October! The last time we celebrated was at Orgatec! Before that, we had to search the exhibition halls in Cologne to find new products worth mentioning in the office furniture sector. Our large trade fair follow-up report on page 32 features our findings. Those of you who are currently designing a bank or an authority will certainly find what they are looking for, because the trends in the office furniture sector towards mobility, flexibility and unconventional
forms of communication reflect the developments in this sector. This is evident in the project selection for this AIT issue on “Banks and Authorities”: In times of digitalisation, institutions that were so far characterised by services at the counter need a completely different internal layout and furnishing in order to be able to provide uptodate advisory services. We report on these new challenges in the article “Zukunftsmusik” starting on page 144. The fact that Christmas is just around the corner is by no means a dream of the future. To reduce the annual stress of finding presents, we have compiled some gift ideas especially for (interior) architects on page 169. As we also want to give something to our loyal readers, there is – as every year – our AIT Christmas raffle! On page 98 you can find out what to expect if you send us an e-mail with your address to weihnachten@ait-online.de by 14 December. We would like to thank you for your kind support in the past year, and wish you and your families a relaxing Christmas season and a magnificent 2019!

Best Wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

HEALTH AND SPA

Dear Readers,

it is a justified demand that hospitals and medical practices must not only perfectly serve the practicing physicians and nurses in technical and functional regard, but also actively support the patients on their way of recovery. For this AIT issue on health and wellness, we have found numerous projects (starting on page 84) that can do even more: improve the infrastructure, resolve an urban planning situation or even act as a conference venue for the Nobel Prize Committee for Medicine. This happened only recently in the Aula Medica lecture hall complex designed by Wingardh Arkitektkontor (top picture). It is part of the renowned Karolinska Ins titute in Solna near Stockholm; since last May, it has a new coun terpart, the Karolinska Uni versity Hospital (page 106) based on a design by White Arkitekter. Here, excellent interior design as well as elaborate art installations have a positive effect on the patients. How ever, it is best not to get sick in the first place — easily said at the beginning of the annual flu season. Prevention may be enhanced by the swimming
pools and spa facilities we have put together starting on page 112. To help you plan and equip such facilities, you can take a look at Italian tile innovations we found at the Cersaie trade fair in Bologna on page 32 and a summary of the latest panel and wood materials on page 70. We used the last sunny days of the year to fly to Portugal with a group of selected interior designers (pictures on the right) to determine the INsider 2018. In addition to in sights into Portuguese interior design and architecture, the focus was on the personal interior design approaches of the participants, and they chose the winners from their own ranks: Moritz Köhler, Studio Komo in Stuttgart (1st place); Georg Thiersch, eins:33 in Munich (2nd place), and Annika Wagener, Esteht in Hanover (3rd place) were very pleased with their colleagues’ appreciation. As every year, we welcome all freshmen of in terior design and architecture with the AIT Welcome Package. Simply send your postal address and your enrolment certificate to pstephan@ait-online.de and/or spread the word!

Best Wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

OFIICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

supposedly there are people who think the topic of offices is boring and dry as dust. But we know better. During the preparation for this issue on offices and administration buildings, we were once again able to see for ourselves how diverse the international office landscape is. We have compiled a wide variety of office concepts and solutions for you — from small advertising agencies in the Czech Republic or the business incubator in Archena, Spain, to co-working spaces in London and Stockholm, headquarters in Oslo and Amsterdam, to new office buildings in Hamburg and Lupburg that have a strong influence on the cityscape. In the rarest of cases we have the opportunity to take a look at the lively office scene and, of course, we know: An office environment only looks tidy and perfectly staged for an appointment with the photographer. So, it was all the more interesting for me to visit the office by the Norwegian architects at Snøhetta (picture above). Those who want to find out more about the Norwegian Landscape Routes project will also find more information there. From 5 October, fans of Norway will also have the opportunity to visit the remarkable exhibition “Architecture and Landscape in Norway” (p.22) in Berlin. Anyway, there’s really a lot going on in October: for students, the winter semester starts in the middle of the month and — as usual — we want to welcome all freshmen in interior design and architecture degree courses with our “Welcome Package”. Anyone who has decided on this exciting career path (if you know someone, please pass the word on!) can send me the relevant certificate of enrolment and postal address at pstephan@ait-online.de and we will send our AIT Welcome Package! Orgatec in Cologne is also an important date — for us and everyone involved in planning office projects. The leading international trade fair for working environments will take place from 23 to 27 October. If you visit us at the AIT stand, we will not only have the most innovative products ready for you there, but also the latest book by our AIT-columnists Dominik and Benjamin Reding! Hope to see you!

Best Wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

Shopping is one of the favourite pastimes of the Germans – according to a study by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, which conducted an analysis of the Stuttgart region in August. According to the study, 21 billion euros flow into the retail sector every year – that is, with an average of 7,569 euros per inhabitant, slightly more than the national average of 6,924 euros. Retailers should be pleased about this, one might think, but they are
already concerned about the sales of 3.7 billion euros that the regional online and mail order trade has recorded. Pure figures, the fruit farmer from Lake Constance would mumble, shrugging his shoulders, where the hot summer ensures perfectly filled shelves (picture at the top) at the roadside. Thankfully, they still exist – the small sales stands, which can offer with the smallest means what the secret of success and unique selling point of the retail trade is: customer-oriented supply, authenticity and a shopping experience for all senses. Applied to the large scale, this recipe works at best also for supermarkets that – especially in Germany – have successfully broken away from the “cheap is cool” principle. The supermarket in the Zeisehalle in Hamburg (p. 120) is a particularly successful example of this. And how a small Greek family business has developed into a supermarket of superlatives in more than 140 years and four generations with persistent quality awareness and a good feeling for customer preferences is shown from page 112 onwards. With the article by Thomas Frey “Shopfitting 4.0” (p. 138) we dare to take a look into the future and ask “What influence does increasing digitalization have on shopfitting?” The cover of
our current magazine is adorned with a photographic artwork by our former AIT intern Laura Zalenga, whom we interviewed for the Change of Perspective section (p. 48). We found that the motif makes a particularly successful reference to the topic of “presentation” and refers with a wink to our product focus on wallpapers and wall paints (p. 76). Or would you have preferred one from the design-conscious truck drivers (p. 8, 32, 58)?

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Living

Dear Readers,

When it comes to housing, the main issue at the moment is shortage. Politics and the construction industry are fully committed to meeting this challenge. For architects and interior designers, it goes without saying that solutions must be found to meet these demands. The list of ideas is as varied as the requirements and the budgets: from Tiny Houses solutions to multi-storey apartment buildings and conversions to new and old buildings as well as annexes. We have collected a wealth of remarkable examples for this housing issue that do not look like shortage at all. The concept of transforming vacant office space
into attractive living space has already been implemented in various major German cities. Our author Rainer Müller has looked at a few of them and warmly recommends this effective form of conversion (p. 128). Subsequent densification is particularly appropriate wherever gaps in the urban space remain unused for years. How these can be filled is impressively demonstrated by a supplementary new building in London (p. 106), which only at second glance is not a reconstruction of the existing building, and by the conversion of an old metalworking shop in Stuttgart—or what was left of it—into two extremely comfortable
residential units (p. 142). And because shortage management is not our main concern anyway, we also show unusual living situations, not exactly inexpensive, but all the more inspiring—like the show apartment in Shanghai (p. 100) or Penthouse F in Vienna (p. 112). My visit to Villa Lemke in Berlin’s Alt-Hohenschönhausen district was also extremely inspiring (picture above). The last house designed by Mies van der Rohe in Germany before his emigration to the USA in 1938 was built in the Bauhaus style in the early 1930s and has served as an exhibition pavilion for modern art since 2002. And if you are planning a visit to the Architecture Biennale by November, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the island of San Giorgio Maggiore to see the Vatican’s first Biennale contribution (p. 11). If you can’t walk anymore, you will be helped (picture below). We wish you a sunny summer!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

BAR HOTEL RESTAURANT

Dear Readers,

we won!!! The German trade press has awarded AIT the title of best trade magazine 2018! On the next two pages we will tell you why we have been honoured for the 4th time and how we celebrated this occasion. Inspired by this news, we dedicated ourselves to the topic of our current issue, Bar Hotel Restaurant, to work through our impressions gathered at the Salone del Mobile in Milan (from page 32; on the left: “The Diner” installation by David Rockwell at Ventura Centrale). We not only took a closer look at the gastronomic projects, but also slept, bathed, ate there and – in the end – wrote about it. We visited St. Moritz, Büsum, Imst, Hamburg, Vienna, Offenburg, Stuttgart, Pontresina (picture below), and Amsterdam and have brought back first-hand information and impressions, which we have turned into an exciting mix of reports on remarkable bars, hotels, and restaurants (from page 84) for this issue. The first sunny days had an inspiring effect on the composition of the large special outdoor section (page 74). For the start of the summer season, we are presenting deckchairs, chairs, umbrellas, and luminaires for outdoors use in restaurants and cafés. Three very different representatives of our interior design/architectural profession are the focus of our series Mrs. Architect, Change of Perspective, and Apprenticeship at… Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky was much more than “just” the inventor of Frankfurt cuisine and has achieved astonishing things in her 103 years of life (page 52). Few interior designers are known from radio and television – but Eva Brenner can claim exactly that. Since studying interior design, she has been presenting television programmes and has told us about her work in front of the camera (page 56). Marie Menninger, an architecture student, is still at the very beginning of her career. One of her stations is an internship abroad at Kubota Bachmann in Paris (from page 60). Towards our editorial deadline, we had a very special experience in the “Ellington” in Berlin. On May 16th, we received the trophy for the best trade magazine 2018!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

the social significance of education is reflected not only in the number of childcare facilities and school buildings built, but also in their interior design quality. The furnishing and equipment of learning spaces, the spatial implementation of different learning structures and the integration into the urban context reflect the degree of seriousness with which a community cares for the next generation. That this should be on the agenda of all those involved in the educational mandate seems indispensable and self-evident. As a result, not only in rural areas, but also in urban areas in particular, new buildings have been built and converted for years. Especially in growth regions, however, the need for action is still greater than ever – as are the investments apparently made available for this purpose. Let’s tackle it, one would like to call out to the German decision-makers in particular, because if we consider the multitude of high-quality educational institutions as seismographs for the corresponding social relevance, our neighbouring countries Austria and Switzerland are doing significantly better in this respect. Our selection of children’s homes, day schools, educational centres, primary and elementary schools in this issue on the subject of public buildings is proof of this (page 84). That education should accompany people throughout their lives is not a new insight. But the approach of attracting the general population with particularly striking, identity-generating buildings seems to be. When culture takes place in spaceship-like structures, former prisons, converted renaissance castles or spectacularly colourful theatres (page 122), imparting knowledge is twice as much fun. The students of the Rising Star School in Hopley, a district of Harare in Zimbabwe, now obviously have fun learning. Engineers Without Borders supported the expansion of a school complex, as vividly reported by architects Kristina Egbers and Berta Franziska Bilger (page 128). And we had a lot of fun with our cultural training in Milan on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile – as our Milan pictures show!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

h3>OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

while at the beginning of the 20th century only about three percent of all employees in Germany earned their living with a desk job, this figure has meanwhile risen to 50 percent. There are 21 million “desk activists” – although many of them no longer necessarily work at the desk. Over the past ten years, office structures have undergone fundamental change as a result of digitisation. While the enthusiasm for open space concepts has long died down, new communication technologies enable working environments that are aimed at well-being and, ideally, provide every employee with a workstation that is appropriate for the task to be solved. The fact that employees now share desks, retreat into lounge and relaxation areas or meet in teams at long conference tables has also led to a rethink in the office furniture industry – to its advantage: for the fourth year in a row, the Office and Working Environment Industry Association recorded an increase in turnover. From page 85 on, we have compiled the latest products. Interior designers and architects can also be pleased: their tailor-made office concepts are in demand among clients who want to provide unconventional, identity-generating and flexible workplaces – not least to score points in the battle for experts and knowledge workers. Author and interior designer Susanne Leson (p. 143) believes that standard solutions are a thing of the past. You will not find among the office projects we selected (p. 100). Instead, you can explore over 70 pages full of ideas and find inspiration for new working environments, small startups, large headquarters and offices incorporating art and culture. The change from an individual office to a coworking space necessitates increased demands on acoustics. Concentrated work and communication need not be mutually exclusive once appropriate measures have been taken. Our special section on office acoustics (p. 90) provides all relevant information. We will be addressing the lighting topic in the next AIT issue after returning from Light + Building with the latest products (see photos). I promise!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

LIVING

Dear Readers,

For us, spring is every year dominated by a large number of trade fair visits. In the first few weeks of the year, one invitation after the other has probably arrived on your desk or in your e-mail inbox, too. In retrospect, however, one thing is for sure: So many direct contacts with friends, colleagues and business partners are only possible during an active trade fair visit, not to mention three-dimensional experiences on and around welldesigned trade fair stands – like at the Quadroskop (picture left) by Schmidhuber from Munich for Carpet Concept on the occasion of the Domotex trade fair! It goes without saying that we have returned home packed full of information about fair novelties to filter and process them for you. In this AIT issue you will find our furniture highlights
from imm cologne starting on page 28, everything about carpet innovations presented at Domotex starts on page 66 and textile discoveries from Heimtextil are featured from page 72 onwards. When selecting projects for the topic our current issue, Living, we once again found that there is an incredible number of outstanding examples for this. Whether it’s new buildings, conversions or extensions in Ljubljana, Turin, Zurich, Berlin, Stuttgart or Stockholm – the respectful and skilful use of materials and colours, the intelligent ideas for space-saving housing or careful considerations for the renovation of
historical monuments were the decisive factors for our selection (from page 84 on). The fact that Stuttgart is so strongly represented in this context surprised us only briefly, as we personally experience the density of construction sites in the capital of the “Häuslebauer” (home builders) every day on our way to the editorial office. In our new “Photo and Space” series (p. 130), we highlight completely different forms of living and show utopian examples from the 1960s and 1970s, photographed by Johanna Diehl. Of course, our columnists Dominik and Benjamin Reding have come up with something quite extraordinary (p. 56) on the subject of living – as always brilliant, but read for yourself!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

Have you had a good start to the New Year? We hope so! For us it has started very dynamically: after four years we thought it was appropriate to refresh both the layout of AIT and its contents. And today, the first AIT issue in 2018 lies in front of you – with a modified, lighter graphic, larger images and additional contents. One of the new series is called “Mrs. Architect” (starting on p. 32) – does it sound familiar? Of course, we were not only inspired by the exhibition at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (picture left and p. 22), we were even allowed to draw from the DAM curators’ archive and show you a personal and work history of our respected colleagues in each of the coming AIT issues. In the new series “Living in Icons” (from p. 36 on), we present buildings where architectural history can be experienced three-dimensionally and live. Under the heading of “Classics’ Birthday” (starting on p. 28), we are now celebrating products that – developed decades ago – are still part of the favourite repertoire of architects and interior designers today. And because we are of the opinion that good pictures often say more than many words, we now feature the new category “Photo and Space”. In keeping with the theme of our current issue, “Sales and Presentation”, we start with a series of photographs taken by photographer Anja Schlamann (from p. 122 on) and show archaic, unorthodox shop counters. And last but not least, we are once again asking architects and interior designers to help us choose the colours that characterise the three different sections of our magazine. For the first series, we were able to win Peter Ippolito and Gunter Fleitz from the Stuttgart-based Ippolito Fleitz Group (picture on the right). Apart from that, everything is as usual: a large selection of exceptional shop fitting and retail projects, corresponding products, current news from the architectural world – all of which have been selected, researched and reported by committed architecture and interior design colleagues. We would be pleased if you like the “new” AIT as much as we do!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect