Houses and Cities

Catalog and exhibition featuring the architect’s drawings at the Papierhalle of Wasmuth Verlag from October 14 to November 12, 2026
Architecture begins with an idea—and almost always with a design sketch. The richly illustrated book *Häuser und Städte. Architectural Drawings by Christoph Sattler, 1953–2026 is the first publication dedicated to the Munich architect’s drawings. It is being published to coincide with the exhibition of the same name at the Papierhalle of Wasmuth Verlag in Berlin, which will open on October 13 at 6:30 p.m. and on October 14 at 7:00 p.m. with a reading by Hanns Zischler.

Christoph Sattler, born in Munich in 1938, co-founded the firm Hilmer & Sattler with Heinz Hilmer (1939–2026), which, together with subsequent partners, realized numerous architectural projects: the residence for philosopher Jürgen Habermas, the master plan for Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz, the Berlin Gemäldegalerie and the Berlin City Palace, as well as many residential, hotel, and cultural buildings in Munich, Karlsruhe, and St. Gallen, among other locations. His work as an architect stands for the sensitive renewal of the European city—for streets, squares, courtyards, and buildings that do not see themselves as autonomous objects, but rather shape and complete urban spaces.

The drawings form the sensory and intellectual core of Sattler’s approach to each architectural project and do not aspire to employ the most original language possible as a means of expressing the most subjective architectural stance. They make the respective design process visible and fit into the coexistence, interaction, and contrast of Modernist architectural drawing languages. The range of works extends from concentrated pencil sketches to expressive studies of urban situations to carefully shaded presentation perspectives. Each depiction finds its own form, tailored to the architectural task, location, and spatial effect. The drawings are thus instruments of thought, examination, and communication.

This publication brings together, for the first time, a comprehensive selection of Sattler’s works, supplemented by three essays. Architectural historian Andres Lepik describes Sattler’s drawings as “the means of expression for bringing his own ideas into the world”; journalist Bernhard Schulz pays tribute to Hilmer and Sattler’s architecture, which balances urban planning responsibility, tradition, and enduring quality; and university professor Peter Schmid examines the drawing techniques, models, and expressive qualities of their work—from line work and hatching to perspective and self-shadows.

Opening:
October 13, 2026, 6:30 p.m., Part 1, with Christoph Sattler
October 14, 2026, 7 p.m., Part 2, a reading by Hanns Zischler, who will present texts by Jakob Grimm, Leo von Klenze, Benno Meyer-Wehlack