Jul 7–Aug 19, 2017

huggenbergerfries

Form Follows Fiction
Address
Karl-Marx-Allee 96, 10243 Berlin Map
Hours
Tue–Fri 2–7 pm, Sat 12 am–6 pm

“We don’t build things that could be anywhere other than where they are,” say the Zurich-based architects about their work. This is explained by the approach they take in developing an architectural concept, which is based on research into the local context. The form, expression, and structure of each of their projects emerge from both the specifics of the location and the program, and are accordingly diverse. Context and architecture thereby merge unconditionally to follow a narrative that yields a multifaceted web of relationships reflecting the notion of “form follows fiction.”

Taking this motto as the title of their exhibition, huggenbergerfries present three projects of very different scale to represent their creative approach: Limmat Tower (Dietikon, 2016), Heerbrugg cantonal school (2014), and the newly completed Solaris residential building (Zurich, 2017).
huggenbergerfries make use of the gallery’s spatial structure and its strong roadside presence to compare their projects at three levels. The first consists of detailed volume models that show the buildings as objects arising from the contextual narrative. Entering into a dialogue with these are 1:1 facade models, which fill the entire rear wall of the gallery to reinterpret the space as an urban arena. Their abstract white color enables their comparability and shows how the facades are an integral part of the projects’ volumetric and structural design.
This physical arrangement is complemented by 3D virtual reality films with corresponding headsets. These tools enable exhibition visitors to engage with the work of huggenbergerfries not only through abstract artifacts, but also by experiencing their rooms, surfaces, colors, and tones.

Adrian Berger, Erika Fries, and Lukas Huggenberger founded their office in Zurich in 2000. They have since realized a number of projects in addition to those mentioned above, including: St. Pirminsberg psychiatric clinic (Pfäfers, 2010), Zurlindenstrasse townhouse (Zurich, 2006), and Paradeplatz tram waiting hall (Zurich, 2003). Starting in summer 2017, they will serve as professors for interior architecture and design at the Technical University in Darmstadt.