The new Academy of Architecture will be built at on one of the most beautiful locations in old Berlin lying opposite from the new palace on the wide bed of water of the arms of the river Spree, a magnificent view from the Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden) and the Schlossbrücke bridge, connected with a square emerging from the depths, Schinkelplatz.
An agora that is dedicated to its full width to architecture, a place creating identity and acting as an interface between urban society and architecture.
An agora which helps to anchor and to present architecture as a cultural activity.
An agora. which, in its importance and its relevance, emanates far beyond borders and emerges as an international impetus.
An agora that breathes architecture and, in its appearance, noticeably carries within itself the transformation of Schinkel’s mind into the present.
The historic centre of Berlin, referred to today in short in the German language as Berlin Mitte, was formed once by the Berlin Palace, the old Museum, the Berlin Cathedral with a parade ground located in front, through the museums on the Museum Island and the Academy of Architecture on the West Bank of the river Spree. From 1832 to 1836, having been erected on the on the site of the former Packhof, the building planned by Karl Friedrich Schinkel became an important source of inspiration for subsequent generations of architects due to its clear constructive pattern, the hybrid usages and its industrial-made facades. For the first time, Schinkel used face brick masonry with prefabricated elements, thereby also distinctively forming the historical centre. For more than one hundred years, due to its varied usage history as a location of innovation, the Academy of Architecture was formative in the fields of architecture, science, trade and politics. Having been severely damaged during the Second World War and ultimately demolished for the construction of the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs building of the GDR, the building site, which has been barren for a long time, is waiting for modern reconstruction to take place as a place of interaction and communication, and as an impetus for future urban transformation processes.
Berlin Excursion
From 24 to 29 March, an excursion to Berlin will be taking place (Course no. 253.D03). The participation is compulsory for all participants of this practical exercise. The first meeting and organisational introduction will be on Tuesday 05 March 2019 at 2:00 p.m. in Prechtl Hall (Prechtlsaal).
The beginning of the design process starts with short tasks, accompanying talks, basic analyses, in-depth workshops and an excursion to Berlin. The design will mainly be developed based on the model starting at the planning scale leading all the way to the detailed scale. The design will be introduced in the form of plans and presentational models. A final digital documentation completes the task.
Peter Zumthor, Mari Lending: Die Geschichte in den Dingen, Scheidegger und Spieß AG Zürich, 2018
