The sensibility of the contemporary German architectural landscape

The issue „longing“ includes the fundamental emotional, cosy and sensuous aspects of architecture. This contribution tries to convey the unspoken and the unseen of architecture into a public presentation. It is about the quest for the unity of architecture, man and nature – that unity with the world that children feel and seems to get lost forever in the course of growing up.


The longing for this unity causes a fundamentally creative process. On that note the German pavilion will give birth to a temporary place where longings can liven up and be reflected. Venice itself already constitutes an intensive projection surface of architectural longings and wishes. Therefore, the German pavilion is taken as first exhibition piece and charged to a place of longing. This is why no architectural plans, pictures and prototypes will be exhibited in the classical sense. Rather, the building envelope just offers an incentive to enrich this place with atmosphere. Consequently, beyond the level of sheer exhibition, emerges a communicative platform for discussions.


Exhibition design:

A golden curtain stages the passage from the outside to the inside, the entrance of the pavilion the atmospheric design of the interior spaces is determined by the different senses of the visitors: The main room presents a generous free space whre more than 180 German and international architects and artists give sketchy utterance to their architectural longings. The pavilion with the red and fabric covered Walls and armchairs invites to linger and grasp that place. Lectures, conversations and musical perfomances converts the pavilion in a place of meeting, inspiration, personal exchange of ideas, interdisciplinary reflection of individual and collective sensitivity of the current architectural landscape. Students, architects and laymen meet almost every week during the Biennale to participate in Workshops together. The smaller lateral rooms, representing dense and emotional galleries, have an inspiring, irritating and provocative effect.


There it is always about direct sense perception. Soft wall covering, mirrored surfaces, outlooks and curtains in the different variations line the pavilion with an artistically staged complete works. Beside the Red Salon, the hall of mirrors and the room with outlook, the other rooms will surprise with futher acoustic and visual excitements. In addition to the events projected in the German pavilion there will put up “exterior salons” in different European cities like Munich, Zurich, Berlin during the Biennale. These exterior pavilions connect the German contribution to the Biennale in an interdisciplinary, international context and facilitate a contentual examination even out-of Venice.