von Gerkan, Marg and Partners – Concrete N° 8 by ON Grafik

I S S U E 08 / 11. 2013

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You Never Get a Second Chance for the First Impression focus

– concrete gmp – Imprint Content – 08/11.2013

content

03 Editorial 04 Corporate Design – Corporate Identity’s Instrument of Action The Corporate Identity Process / by Cornelia Theiling

08 The gmp Media 16 The Central Design Element: Rotis Sans Serif Otl Aicher and Rotis

20 Robert de Niro and Helvetica

Or: the Casting of a Corporate Typeface / by Tom Wibberenz

content

57 Office Aachen

New Hans Sachs House, Headquarters for Trianel GmbH, Panorama

59 Office Frankfurt

Martin Luther School

60 Office Rio

Projects for the 2014 World Cup

62 “Hotspots” Authors

What’s Worth Seeing and Reading in Art, Graphics, and Design

22 Choreography of the Masses imprint

24 Designing in Dialogue 26 Glossary 28 Office Berlin

The Qianhai Integrated Transportation Hub, Xiamen Xiang An Sports and Culture Complex, New Sports and Leisure Pool Facilities, Palace of Culture, New DRV Office, Stadiums in Russia, New Visitor Center for Gärten der Welt, Tongan Hotel, Lindow Monastery, IOC/IAKS Awards,CABR Chinese Design Institute, Panorama

32 Corporate Design You Can Touch! 39 Office Hamburg

Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge in Hamburg’s HafenCity District, Guanglian Headquarter Campus, Public Safety Education Training Base, Headquarters of Gebrüder Heinemann, State Archive of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bavaria, SAP Company Headquarters, VTRON Industrial Park, Ankara International Exhibition and Convention Center, “Deutsches Haus” in Ho Chi Minh City, Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Panorama

50 Office Beijing

Longyan Filport Hotel Complex, LIZE, Panorama

54 Office Shanghai

Lingang Harbor, Chongming Sport Base, Caohejing Three Cubes, Hainan Airlines Headquarter, Panorama

gmp · von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects PR and Communications Dept. Published by: Michael Kuhn, Head of Communication Editors: Michael Kuhn, Christian Füldner and Julia Richter (editing) Telephone: +49.40.88 151-142 Email: communication@gmp-architekten.de Layout: ON Grafik + Felix Heining Published quarterly. Our thanks to all our colleagues for their assistance in producing this staff newspaper. concretegmp is published in German and English, and is also available in digital form on our intranet. Cover photo: Felix Heining Picture Credit: Julia Ackermann (25, 53, 55), Otl Aicher: „Typographie“, Verlag Hermann Schmidt 2005 (17), Karin Baum (36), Marcus Bredt (22–23, 37, 60–61), Crystal Digital Technology (41), Hans-Georg Esch (57), Frontop (55), Christian Gahl (37, 45, 54), Gärtner+Christ (42), gmp (28–31, 34–36, 37–40, 46–49, 50–51, 55–56, 58–59, 61), Heiner Leiska (5–15, 43–44), Eva Moder: „Otl Aicher Gestalter“, Hatje Cantz Verlag 2011, Foto: Agfa (16), PERRET SCHAAD (63), Portal da copa (61), Markus Ratgeb: „Otl Aicher“, Phaidon Press 2007 (17), www.awesomepeople.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Robert-De-Niro_3.jpg (21), www.carstennicolai.com (63), www.jimdenevan.com (63), www.listal.com/viewimage/2202969h (21), www.vbeneche.free.fr/portfolio/ (21)

concrete gmp – Editorial – 08/11.2013 – 03

Best of Best /

Dear colleagues, The title may sound like we’re boasting, but we’re really not. We’re just proud In this issue of our employee newspaper, we present and illustrate the hisof the three awards our firm has received for ingenious and creative designs. torical development of gmp’s image and how it relates to and resulted in our At gmp we’ve always adopted a holistic approach to projects – not just de- current corporate design – with a nod to significant contributions by Robert veloping and implementing architecture, but also integrating other related de Niro and Clint Eastwood … fields and including them in our thought processes. And as with our compe- We hope you’ll enjoy this exciting read! tition and project work, the gmp communications department and its external partners have adopted the same approach in their daily efforts to maintain Michael Kuhn and enhance the reputation of our firm. That’s why our results, our own image, our scenographic presentations and publications, are among best of the best: The German Design Council has awarded gmp’s corporate redesign the best of best prize and declared the “Choreography of the Masses” exhibition design the Winner. The jury of the Red Dot Awards has also recognized this 2012 exhibition as an outstanding creative achievement in the Communication Design category.

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

Corporate Design – Corporate Identity’s Instrument of Action / t he cor por at e iden t i t y proce s s

In his book “double loop” Robert Paulmann says: “Companies today can no longer rely solely on product quality or a good rapport with their customers. Our world is becoming increasingly complex; the speed at which objects and situations are changing accelerates every day, making clear communication all the more necessary.” Members of contemporary civil society are so diversified that they’re constantly having to analyze conditions, weigh options, and draw logical conclusions. Consequently, they value unambiguous, substantive information. If a company is to stand apart from its competitors and attract clients, it must have a distinctive and consistent presence. Over and above the quality of a company’s products or services – which is essential to its success – clients also need to know the company’s values. The corporate identity process is a recognized marketing tool that provides a company with its own identity, strengthens its competitive edge, and thus contributes to its success. In “Corporate Identity,” Klaus Birkigt, Marinus M. Stadler, and Hans Joachim Funk define this process as “a company’s strategically planned and implemented internal and external self-representation and behavior, as based on the stated corporate philosophy, a long-term corporate objective, and a defined (target) image – with the intention of presenting all of the company’s instruments of action within a unified framework, both internally and externally.” Part of the corporate identity process consists in defining what constitutes a company’s distinctive character, what are its special abilities, what are the strategic goals it is pursuing and how it plans to achieve them. Once the corporate identity has been defined, it must be reflected in all areas of the company. It is the standard for all programmatic and communication activities, ensuring that the company’s essence will be recognized by outsiders. The company’s image of itself should match the image perceived by the outside world. A clear, consistent external image provides direction and credibility. It enables the client to identify with the company and have confidence in its performance. One might argue that an architectural firm’s image is primarily shaped by its buildings. But as Meinhard von Gerkan states in “Architektur im Dialog,” “Directly or indirectly, the architecture market is subject to the recognized rules of marketing. Corporate identity is the key word in marketing. The rules of the national and international architecture game faithfully follow these principles. The extremely wide diversity of current architectural trends produces widespread uncertainty, making it all the more necessary to adhere to established brand names.”

by cor n el i a t heil i ng

Because an architectural firm’s activities have a significant impact on people’s everyday lives, they want to know who is behind the name and what values the company represents. An architectural firm can also use its corporate identity to influence the way the public perceives it. According to Meinhard von Gerkan, “Because all the architects, critics, and journalists who shape public opinion have actually visited only a fraction of the architecture on which their judgments are based, they must rely on publications – i.e. marketing – for the rest.” Corporate Identity’s Instruments of Action As a marketing strategy, corporate identity comprises three basic instruments of action: corporate communications, corporate behaviour, and corporate design. Corporate communications means that every internal and external communication must be consistent with the corporate philosophy in terms of content, and it must be visually consistent with the corporate design. The content, media, and target groups of all available communications media must be coordinated on the basis of a communications strategy in order to project a clear and distinctive corporate image to employees and the public. In contrast to the other two instruments, corporate behaviour is more of an indicator than a management tool. How a company behaves in public, how it treats external parties and its own employees, and how its employees treat one another all depend on the people that the company employs. Nevertheless, the company can create basic conditions that contribute to a corporate culture that is in line with the corporate philosophy. One component of corporate

Corporate Behaviour

Corporate Design

Corporate Identity Corporate Communication

Corporate Image

concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 05

behaviour is corporate language. A standardized use of language ensures that the corporate identity will also be expressed in company statements and publications, and that the same terms will be applied to the same concepts. The corporate design instrument of action is the easiest to perceive. It is the company’s uniform and visible internal and external image. When a corporate design is successful, it visually corresponds to the corporate identity. The corporate design makes it possible to infer a company’s values and attitudes. Because a large percentage of information is perceived visually, the importance of this instrument cannot be overestimated, even when it’s only a design form. A company is recognized by its visual image. Any inconsistencies are instantly noticed and elicit confusion and a loss of confidence. The concept of corporate design was developed in the 1920s. Wolfgang Beinert provides a detailed history at ‘typolexikon.de.’ The German typographer and architect Peter Behrens (1868–1940) was considered the “grandfather of modern corporate identity.” From 1907 to 1914 while working as an artistic consultant at AEG (Allgemeine ElektrizitätsGesellschaft), he designed the first systematic “corporate style.” In the 1930s it was the “market technician” Hans Domizlaff (1892–1972) who, with his concept “from personality to brand,” elevated the brand to the position traditionally occupied by the person of the entrepreneur. He drew up design guidelines for Reemtsma and Siemens that were similar to today’s design manuals. Domizlaff pioneered the concept of corporate identity. The greatest influence on design in 1950s Germany was the College of Design in Ulm. Co-founder Otl Aicher (1922–1991) developed images for many organizations, including Braun AG, Lufthansa, and the 1972 Munich Olympics. Together the three instruments generate the face of a company as perceived from the outside – its corporate image.

only management has the authority and capabilities necessary to define and implement strategic goals. Only if the process is clearly initiated and supported by management will it find acceptance within the company. gmp’s Corporate Design In its early days, gmp had no uniform corporate design. Instead of a logo, printed materials bore the lettering ‘von Gerkan, Marg + Partner.’ Like all printed matter, the type had to remain within the realm of the technologically possible, and was therefore set in the antiqua typeface Times. The first move toward a corporate design came with the introduction of Helvetica as the corporate typeface and base font for the ‘gmp’ wordmark. After Akzidenz Grotesk, Helvetica – designed by Max Miedinger in 1957 – was the most popular corporate typeface of the 50s and 60s. Its neutral, no-nonsense functionality corresponded with the gmp philosophy. The ‘gmp’ wordmark was written in lowercase because the lowercase letters, with their particular arcs and counters, had a more homogeneous look than the uppercase. The last names of founding partners von Gerkan and Marg were separated by a centered dot, and the word ‘partner’ was connected by a plus sign. The Helvetica outline font – which resembled the letter stencils used for producing standardized lettering on technical drawings – and the centered dot and plus sign as mathematical symbols all lent the image a technical character, thus highlighting the engineering side of the architectural profession. Corporate colors were not yet defined, although brochures were regularly issued in a silver chromo board binding. Further Development of the Corporate Design

“You Never Get a Second Chance for the First Impression”

A consistent image wasn’t achieved until 1992 in the course of digitization and the introduction of the desktop publishing program QuarkXPress. At that For the corporate identity process to succeed, several conditions must be met. time the logo was modified slightly. While it still embodied the reserved, One of the most important is comprehensiveness. Every area of the company unpretentious character of Helvetica, the wordmark ‘gmp’ acquired a more substantial presence through the use of the solid type style. The legend ‘von must reflect the corporate philosophy and corporate goals. In the perception process, the object is perceived as a whole. Any inconsisten- Gerkan · Marg und Partner architekten’ was redefined and relocated. In the cies call into question the company’s reliability and integrity. “Thus, an es- spirit of the 90s, vertical type became a new and established design element sential characteristic of corporate identity is its comprehensive, consistent on faxes and memos. Other new stylistic elements included different letterimplementation on all corporate levels and channels of communication,” warns spacing for the logo and on business cards, as well as raised blind embossing Robert Paulmann. Another condition is continuity of corporate identity. The on presentation folders and business cards. company’s perceived image must be regularly monitored to determine wheth- Other types of business media were added and a corporate color was also er it still corresponds to the company’s values and goals. Inconsistencies that defined. The gray tone HKS 92 was selected as a pragmatic color that comarise over time will result in a latent skepticism, and once a false image is municated respectability and inspired confidence. Not only that, but gray was created, it’s difficult to correct. The first impression is always the most lasting. fashionable in the early 90s and had always had an important place in archiBuilding the corporate image is the responsibility of management, because tecture in the form of DB 702 (iron glimmer), a paint on steel components.

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before 1992

1992

1999

2002

2013

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

Left page, left image The gmp corporate design in its infancy Brochures with silver chromo board binding Logo set in Helvetica Outline. Left page, image at the top The first image brochures Right page gmp media before the redesign.

The Corporate Design Redesigned – 1999 Whereas the 1992 redesign had toned down the technical character of the company’s image, the purpose of the 1999 redesign was to give the corporate design a lighter, more open, more lively feel. So it was decided that Rotis Sans Serif would replace Helvetica as the new corporate typeface and base font for the wordmark, making Rotis the central and most significant characteristic of the gmp corporate design. Another version of the logo was developed for gmp International GmbH and new elements were added for digital business media. Furthermore, business cards were developed that differed according to the employee’s position within the company hierarchy, and an image brochure was designed. The corporate color was changed from the cool gray HKS color system to the warmer Pantone, again in order to create a more open and livelier image. The corporate design was tweaked once more in 2002. The corporate color Pantone 431 was supplemented with lighter and darker grays from Pantone 429 to 433. HKS 14 red became the second primary corporate color and HKS 2 yellow became a secondary corporate color. Reasons for a Redesign After more than ten years, gmp initiated yet another redesign. The reasons: A corporate design must negotiate the area of tension between continuity and

currency. In principle, an image is designed to last. It takes time for it to become established and secure the company’s recognizability. But just as the defined corporate mission must be regularly examined to determine whether it is still aligned with the company’s goals in the face of societal, economic, political, and sociocultural changes, the corporate design must also be analyzed to determine whether it is still representative of the corporate identity and whether it is capable of projecting the desired image. Thus, a corporate design is dynamic, evolving along with the company, the company’s corporate identity, and its employees, and to a certain extent reflecting the current aesthetic. Peter Herbst accurately describes this phenomenon at ‘vordenker.de’: Over the past ten years, the basic conditions underlying corporate action have changed. Concern over sustainability, internationalization and competition via new markets, pressure to innovate, and time pressure have placed new demands on companies. Competition is escalating due to globalization and international rivalry. Because products have become increasingly interchangeable, companies must signal their own capabilities more clearly and emphatically. Consumers have become more discerning and critical. Although they value political correctness and sustainability, they also desire status and convenience. Consequently, they purchase products not just for their practical value, but also because of their ‘staging value,’ as formulated by Gernot Böhme in his book “Atmosphäre.” But at the same time they demand that these products be manufactured by responsible companies under ethical and ecologically responsible conditions.

concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 07

We’re all being inundated by so much information that it’s becoming increas- Unlike the existing corporate design, parts of which came across as overly ingly difficult to reach consumers. The average person currently assimilates elaborate, the image created by the redesign would be simple, open, and clear. only about two percent of the available information. Because companies It would also be subject to the criteria governing a functional corporate decontinue to expand and consequently become less manageable, employees sign: cogency, incisiveness, individuality, recognition value, longevity, varioften identify more with their own departments than with the company as a ability, expandability, aesthetic appeal, and modernity. whole, often causing a loss of corporate cohesiveness. More and more, depart- In ”Architektur im Dialog,“ Meinhard von Gerkan provides useful guidelines ments and branch offices are pursuing their own goals and optimization. for handling trends: “Don’t underestimate the tried-and-tested or convenOn top of all this, technological developments have created more opportuni- tional … but learn from others’ experiences; practice creative innovation in ties for producing in-house media. The corporate design must respond to this order to formulate new solutions to new problems; be open to social changsituation with its own design media and templates. es, technical innovations, and evolving needs; be receptive as well to shifts in Therefore, a redesign isn’t just a matter of taste; it’s a necessary adaptation consciousness as reflected in changes in tastes.” to societal, technological, and company-specific changes. Nor is it wise – as noted above – to completely ignore developments in design and contemporary aesthetics. The response that an image elicits from employees is an important indicator of whether the design is up to date. What gmp employees objected to most was the color and paper of the business cards, whose design directly affected the first impression they made on business associates. Instead of elegance and quality, they felt that the gray color communicated boredom. The textured stock that was originally selected as high-grade decorative paper now reminded them of ‘plush carpeting.’ A Cornelia Theiling, after studying management and administration of justice careful redesign was called for that would comply with the basic design pa- and working several years in public administration, obtained a degree in design. rameters, would remain true to the architectural firm’s philosophy and value- Employed as graphic designer at gmp since 2005; has been developing and consciousness while at the same time integrating societal and aesthetic implementing the redesign since 2010. changes, and would convey a pragmatic, lasting image whose lack of frills and pretentions would allow the underlying design parameters to shine through.

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

The gmp Media /

Folder with flap Folders are used for sending out information materials, which can include a CD or DVD. Embossing stamp Blind embossing is characteristic of gmp’s corporate design. The three-dimensional embossing makes a lasting and effective impression that can be seen and felt.

concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 09

Envelopes Envelopes are printed with the lettering ‘Architekten von Gerkan, Marg and Partner’ and the gmp logo, with the URL on the back.

Cards Cards in DIN long format are available in the form of memos and folded cards, with the firm’s name, logo, and URL embossed or printed, or with project motifs.

Brochure sleeve Brochure sleeves allow us to combine other communication media with project brochures to make information packets. The brochure’s title remains visible.

‘Building Typology’ project brochure The brochure contains information on a selection of projects with the same building typology documented with photos. It also contains interviews with various architects.

Address and mailing labels Mailing labels can be hand-lettered or printed using a PDF form.

CDs/DVDs and sleeves For distribution of digital data, CDs and DVDs with our corporate design are available, accompanied by especially designed protection sleeves.

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

‘Pictures and Events’ project newsletter Documents projects using large photographs that exceed documentation purposes, accompanied by brief descriptions of the projects in two languages.

gmp App The gmp App provides an overview of the firm, displays a selection of built projects, and can be used for putting together presentations.

concrete gmp â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Corporate Design â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 08/11.2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11

Project flyers Project flyers provide condensed information on a project in a handy format and in two languages.

Press boards Press boards are used for mailing DIN A4 brochures and books. The media is placed between two boards and secured with two rubber bands, thus allowing for a wide variety of packet contents.

Project brochures Project brochures provide comprehensive information on a project, from its design to its completion with numerous high-quality photos. The text is in two languages.

Clamp binder Clamp binders are designed for in-house communication. Documents can be temporarily bound together using the sliding clamps, while still allowing individual sheets to be removed.

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

Business cards with holder Business cards are either two-sided cards or folded cards with four sides. Management keeps the folded cards in small holders.

Staple-free stapler A staple-free stapler fastens documents together without using additional materials.

Press release, information and reference sheets The press release is the basis for a factual, accurate portrayal of the projects in the public media. Information and reference sheets provide additional information on the firm and built projects. Together they make up the booklet that can be compiled and downloaded as a PDF from the gmp home page.

Card Cards furnished with diagonal slits can hold a CD/DVD sleeve, a business card, and a description of the CD/DVD contents.

concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 13

Business card box Business cards are organized and stored in a box personalized with the owner’s name.

Corporate Design Manual The Corporate Design Manual presents all the elements of the corporate design with concrete definitions and dimensions. Stationery, fax cover sheets, blank invoices, forms Stationery is available for four forms of the company and for all ten locations with the corresponding logos in different language variants. Besides the stationery, business media continues to include the necessary fax cover sheets, blank invoices, and various forms for in-house communication such as memos and reports. Management also has personalized stationery that follows the corporate design.

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

Image brochure The image brochure is an expression of the company’s self-image. Its contents and appearance communicate the firm’s foundational ideas and goals and its focus of activities. The image brochure centers on the firm’s building projects and presents a selection of these projects with full-sized photographs.

gmp home page The gmp home page provides comprehensive information on the architectural firm and its projects, publications, and events. Project information can be compiled in a downloadable booklet. The home page is available in eight languages.

Works – Selected Projects The “Works – Selected Projects” book contains a comprehensive selection of projects that includes all building typologies and descriptions in five languages.

concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 15

Notebook The notebook is a standard office accessory and demonstrates the consistent application of the corporate design, even inside the firm.

DIN A5 folded cards DIN A5 folded cards are used to hold inserts. The inserts are secured with black rubber bands.

Works – Office Buildings, Hotels, Shopping Malls The “Works – Office Buildings, Hotels, Shopping Malls” book contains a selection of projects that includes three building typologies and descriptions in five languages.

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

The Central Design Element: Rotis Sans Serif / ot l a icher a n d rot is

Designer Otl Aicher developed Rotis in 1988 for the lighting manufacturer ERCO. Aicher (1922–1991) initially studied sculpture at the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, but it wasn’t long before he opened his own graphic design studio in Ulm. In 1953, he founded the Ulm School of Design (Hochschule für Gestaltung Ulm) together with his wife Inge Aicher-Scholl and Max Bill. While still engaged in teaching, Aicher designed images for Braun AG, Lufthansa and, in 1972, he developed the visual identity of the XX. Olympics in Munich. He was subsequently regarded as a corporate design specialist and worked with major corporations such as bulthaup, Bayerische Rück, Dresdner Bank, and ZDF. Aicher entered into an intense collaboration with ERCO that lasted many years. He developed the company’s entire corporate identity program, including a design manual which, typical of Aicher, was based on the principles of simplicity and minimalism of design media. He also expanded the pictogram system he had developed for the Munich Olympics on behalf of the lighting manufacturer. Eva Moser describes Aicher’s process in “otl aicher. gestalter”: “All the figures had dots for heads and their movements were plotted on a grid system consisting of orthogonals and diagonals. All sequences of movement were determined by a precise geometry.” ERCO still distributes the pictograms today (www.piktogramm.de).

In 1985 Klaus J. Maack, ERCO’s CEO, hired Aicher to develop a narrow, space-saving corporate typeface that combined serif and sans serif elements. Druckhaus Maack set up a separate studio specifically for this project in Rotis, Aicher’s place of residence and the eventual name of the typeface. Since 1958, Aicher had been working on a typeface that combined the Antiqua and Helvetica typefaces. He perceived the two typefaces as being at war with one another and believed he could ‘make peace’ by integrating the two families into one hybrid typeface. His primary purpose was to create a typeface that would support the dynamic processes of reading and writing. His view was that a typeface was more readable when there was a definite difference between the stem and hairline strokes, between the horizontal and vertical strokes. The letters should be narrow to save space and create word pictures, but should also be spaced far enough apart to preserve their individuality. Aicher described his thinking in “typographie”: “first of all the typeface should be flowing, not static. next it should not be too sprawling, too wide, but should rather move forward at a measured pace. it should not contain any stylistic devices, no artificial aesthetic shapes. its language should be akin to the culture of a mozart or bach rather than the pathos of a richard wagner. the letters themselves should be a family of individuals, not uniformed, perfectly outfitted soldiers. individual letters such as the lowercase ‘e’ could have their own distinctive

concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 17

character…. no letter should take itself too seriously, nor should it be embellished or adorned.” Thus he created a type system with four characters. Rotis Sans Serif, a modified Helvetica with different stroke weights, stood in contrast to Rotis Serif, a classic Antiqua. Between these two extremes, he introduced two other types: a Semi Grotesk called Rotis Semi Sans, and a Semi Antiqua called Rotis Semi Serif. For each of the different type styles, he developed a limited range of weights as determined by the ratio between stem and hairline strokes. The result was seventeen stroke weights organized in a numbering system modeled on the system introduced by Adrian Frutiger for Univers. Aicher now believed that he had met his own requirements by optimizing the typeface’s utilitarian function, providing easy readability, and guaranteeing a wide range of possible applications. Rotis as originally designed by Otl Aicher had no uppercase letters, but this peculiarity was more of an ideological statement than a design choice. Affected by his experiences during World War II, Aicher had systematically used lowercase letters since 1947, citing as his reason: “we’re suspicious of up-

percase, upper echelons, overlords.” In this regard, he came to see design as a question of character. In the preface to “typografie,” Florian Pfeffer quotes him as saying, “those who cling to the roman capitalis, center lines, and uppercase letters are showing us that they have something to prove, an inner vacuum to fill.” Rotis was one of the first typefaces to be generated digitally. In addition to its function as the ERCO corporate typeface, it was also intended for general use and was thus offered to the American manufacturer Agfa Compugraphic Type Division for distribution. Before the typeface was released to the public in 1988, Aicher used it to set his book typographie (Hot Spots). At that time, Rotis was warmly received and used by many companies, including Aicher’s customers bulthaup, FSB, and Foster Associates. Rotis Sans Serif as a Visual Expression of the gmp Corporate Philosophy When Rotis Sans Serif was selected as the new corporate typeface in 1992, it was relatively new and, as mentioned above, well received. What actually

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– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner Generalplanungsgesellschaft Architekten von Gerkan, Marg mbHPartner und Generalplanungsgesellschaft mbH Generalplanungsgesellschaft mbH Generalplanungsgesellschaft mbH International GmbH Generalplanungsgesellschaft architects and engineers mbH International GmbH architects and engineers International GmbH architects and engineers International GmbH architects and engineers Design e Projetos International GmbH do Brasil Ltda. architects and engineers Design e Projetos do Brasil Ltda. Design e Projetos do Brasil Ltda. Design e Projetos do Brasil Ltda. Design e Projetos do Brasil Ltda.

Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner Architekten von Gerkan, Marg PR and Communication und Partner Architekten von Gerkan, Marg PR and Communication und Partner Architekten von Gerkan, Marg PR and Communication und Partner Architekten von Gerkan, Marg PR and Communication und Partner PR and Communication

determined the choice of Rotis Sans Serif, however, was Otl Aicher’s background in design theory. As founder, teacher, and director of the Ulm School of Design (HfG), he felt a social obligation to incorporate social and cultural responsibility into design training. HfG was steeped in rationality and practicality. Its language was geometry. To this day Ulm stands for use-oriented products and the style of ‘good form’ as defined by aesthetic understatement and avoidance of formal embellishments. Otl Aicher himself had a strong affinity for architecture and urban development. He considered architecture and typography to be related disciplines, and described the connection in his article ‘dialog über architektur und typografie,’ which appeared in volume 98 of “Arch+”: “architecture organizes spaces and motion sequences. typography is a kind of two-dimensional architecture that organizes surfaces, texts, images, and reading sequences.” In 1972 he had already designed the well-known studio set for ZDF using Fritz Haller’s USM system. Because of its variability, he compared this shelf system to the letters of the alphabet.

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Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner

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Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner

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Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner

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Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner

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Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner

During the final two decades of his life, he focused even more on architecture and urban development and deepened his ties to architects. He was also friends with Norman Foster and Günther Behnisch. In the article cited above, Aicher wrote that the architects who interested him most were those who “freed themselves from a formal code…. when I work with architects who design an object as an object and try to optimize it based on the general conditions, [they’re the most interesting] because today more than ever, this is human architecture.” For him it was mainly about the use and function of a building. Consequently, he rejected ‘cosmetic architecture.’ He solved design problems according to the principles of order, economy of means, and formal agreement. Using a limited number of colors and shapes, he managed to achieve a visual unity. He communicated content through geometry, as is evident from early posters from the Ulm school. Many of his projects were based on elementary geometric shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles. This, combined with Aicher’s philosophy as a designer of typefaces, would already be reason

Titelordnung_24_26_GL Schriftzug 24/26 pt / gmp 36 pt Anwendung DIN A5, DIN lang

Titelordnung_24_26_UL Schriftzug 24/26 pt / gmp 36pt concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 19 Anwendung DIN A4

gmp 14

14 Titelordnung_44_36_UL Schriftzug 44/45 pt / gmp 36pt Anwendung DIN A5, DIN A4

enough to use of Rotis Sans Serif as a suitable visual representation of the corporate identity. The question now is whether the typeface itself suitably reflects the firm’s philosophy. How the typeface will be interpreted in the future and what associations it will have for readers, only time will tell and designers can’t possibly predict. Although this typeface has become very popular and is used in a variety of life environments and industries (bulthaup, ERCO, brühl, WMF, red dot, Die Johanniter, Dr. Hauschka, Fujitsu), it has recently become controversial: Designer and typographer Erik Spiekermann is among the critics who claim that Rotis fails to meet Aicher’s own requirements. Despite Otl Aicher’s intentions to the contrary, it is difficult to read and pretentious. A non-representative survey of consumers interested in typography was conducted for the book rotis – eine Streitschrift. One of its findings was that people tend to associate Rotis with classical music rather than jazz, pop, or folk. When given a choice of several different domains, the sample surveyed saw Rotis as most appropriate in a cultural context. They found it to be re-

spectable, down-to-earth, conservative, sophisticated, and elegant, and the majority thought it was easy to read but also artificial and static. Based on this non-representative sample alone, one might at the very least conclude that Rotis Sans Serif isn’t totally unsuitable as the corporate typeface for an architectural firm. Nevertheless, the typeface isn’t easy to work with when it comes to concrete applications. Its idiosyncratic individual letters – above all the lowercase c and e have a distinctive design – give the typeface a special character, so that the design element of mixed type can be applied only within the type system. Typesetting requires the careful coordination of all typographic parameters, including type size and weight as well as the spacing between characters, words, and lines. The ratio between these parameters determines a text’s visual effect. With Rotis, Aicher wanted to design a utilitarian, easy-to-read typeface. Whether or not he succeeded is still a matter of debate. Cornelia Theiling

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

Robert de Niro and Helvetica / o r : t h e c a s t i n g o f a c o r p o r a t e t y p e fa c e

by tom w ibber enz

These days when we talk about a corporate typeface, what we actually mean Rotis is what our professors used to call a house font. If we look up ‘corporate typeface,’ or even ‘corporate type’ or ‘house font’ on the Internet, the first Rotis is gmp’s corporate typeface as well as the central element in its corpothing we get is a list of formal criteria. For instance, German Wikipedia states rate design. Not only is the ‘gmp’ trademark set in Rotis, but the entire range that a corporate typeface ”should have a high recognition value; must be of communication media, image media, business media, and project brochures easily readable; should be used uniformly and consistently for all business is designed and produced using Rotis. Even the website is programmed to load and advertising presences; must reflect the corporate philosophy and be ap- the corporate typeface in the background while the page is being generated. According to the new gmp Corporate Design Manual compiled, defined, and propriate for the product offering.”1 Furthermore, the issue of global application raises the question of which designed by Cornelia Theiling, Rotis was selected in part for its ‘easy readtypefaces are suitable for particular domains: In the world of printed matter ability,’ but also because the “... very special shapes of the letters, above all and in the age of digitized fonts, the designer developing corporate designs the lowercase c and e … have a distinctive, formative character …” Rotis was has access to a tremendous stock of fonts. Using various printing processes, made to embody the guiding principles of the gmp corporate philosophy: these fonts can easily be reproduced on all types of media, including business ‘simplicity,’ ‘variety and uniformity,’ ‘distinctiveness,’ and ‘structural order.’ cards, letterheads, catalogs, image brochures, etc. With Rotis playing such a major role in gmp’s identity, it seems appropriate In recent years, e-mail, websites, social media, and blogs, as well as tablets, at this time to carefully examine the gmp corporate typeface in terms of its smartphones, etc., have created yet another digital world in which companies expression and usability – and thus to respond to the recurring question of must establish a unique presence. Here, too, the rules of recognizability, clar- why some gmp exhibitions and books are not set in Rotis or, in other words, ity, distinctiveness, and concision must be addressed. But this is precisely why do we – ON Grafik – sometimes decide not to use Rotis? where many fonts fail – either because they aren’t recognized by the particular operating system or browsers used, or because they simply aren’t available Mutability on the average user’s computer. In many cases, a typeface was created at a time when the designer had no need to think about how it would appear on If we were to take our job – namely, the development of a graphic design for a monitor – that is to say, the typeface is readable on paper but not on a an exhibition – and transfer it to the world of filmmaking, we would probably screen. be the directors. Depending on the material, we would immediately think of Thus, anyone defining a company’s corporate typeface should (at least ac- a specific cinematographer and then picture specific actors for the roles. These cording to the top Google results) adhere to certain formal selection criteria, actors would have to possess certain qualities that would make them believable in their roles, and would also have to be totally committed to the producwhile also keeping in mind the technological side of things. tion – and, of course, we would want only the very best. At the height of his fame, Robert de Niro once said that he could play anything, 1 even a schnitzel. Without going into too much detail about his illustrious http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausschrift

concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 21

career, his many-sidedness was most apparent in his films from the late 70s I look forward to his latest movie because I want to see ‘Clint’ – the almost to the early 90s. His portrayal of a young American immigrant who works his rigid facial expression, the slightly arthritic gait, the ice-cold stare through way up to the position of Godfather is every bit as believable as his depiction half-lidded eyes (although the eyes were a little more open in “The Bridges of of a New York taxi driver whose hatred and obsession culminate in a killing Madison County”). A great actor but no chameleon – just like Rotis. spree. He ‘was’ the pugnacious boxer, the failed stand-up comic, the debonair The very qualities that make Rotis the ideal candidate for all gmp’s corporate devil, and the corpulent gangster Al Capone – a role for which he chose to design work are also what pose problems for us as designers. How do we work stuff himself with pasta for weeks on end rather than wear a fat suit. If de with a typeface that is so obviously distinctive? A typeface whose design is unNiro had to play a typeface, he would probably take his cues from Helvetica. compromising and whose details are awfully significant? A typeface that is reHelvetica is ubiquitous, says the German Wikipedia entry, “because so many vered by architects and that the public most often associates with the pharmacorporations use it as their corporate typeface2 .” The list of companies and ceutical industry? Based on three examples, we’ll show you why Rotis was never brands is long and spans many industries, including fashion, beauty, chemicals, asked to audition for the part – why it was the only possible choice for the role. automakers, and consumer electronics, to name just a few. And yet there seems to be no correspondence between the wide range of unrelated areas of application and the selection criteria for corporate typefaces that were listed above. These are all respected companies that can at- Tom Wibberenz, born 1967. Graduated in 1996 from Muthesius Academy of tribute their success in part to their catchy brand design. So one of Helvetica’s Fine Arts and Design in Kiel. 1996–2000 free-lanced for various Hamburg main qualities would appear to be its mutability: Depending on how it is set design studios. Worked in New York City from Fall 2000 to April 2001. and in what design context, it can convey the spirit of the times or the soul Returned to Germany in May 2001 and founded ON Grafik. As of the 2008–09 winter semester, has taught book design and typography at DFI (Design of conservatism. The graphic at the top right is an impressive example of Helvetica’s potential Factory International). for lending an identity to brands in very different fields. It also demonstrates From 2001 to 2012 collaborated with gmp on more than twenty books and how the content and the typeface have fused in our minds – it’s only on book projects. Over the past three years has also worked on various exhibitions second glance that we notice that these aren’t the brand names at all, but are and exhibition catalogs, including ‘On Old Foundations,’ ‘Choreography of the Masses,’ and the international touring exhibition ‘Designing in Dialogue.’ the name of the typeface. ON Grafik is currently designing various volumes in a new gmp book series But can’t Rotis do this, too? Keeping to our film analogy: If Robert de Niro is Helvetica, Rotis might be a with the working title “Die 100 Seiter” (“The 100-Pagers”), supports the aac, good part for Clint Eastwood. I’m actually a big Eastwood fan, although I and – after developing the brand – is expanding the corporate design for the admire his directing more than his acting. But I can’t help noticing how much Rainvilleterrasse campus. 2

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica_(Schriftart)

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

Choreography of the Masses /

CHOREOGRAPHIE DER MASSEN IM SPORT. IM STADION. IM RAUSCH. 6.6.–12.8.2012 dienstag – sonntag 11 – 20 uhr

pariser platz 4, 10117 berlin eintritt frei, www.adk.de

In early June 2012, just a few days after the opening game of the UEFA European Football Championship in Poland and the Ukraine, the exhibition ‘Choreography of the Masses’ opened at the Berlin Academy of Arts. While masses of people gathered at Paris Square for the public viewing, the exhibition explored the movement of masses of people inside sports stadiums, or rather the ways in which people’s movements are controlled by skillful choreographers and, of course, by the stadium architecture. The exhibition occupied three rooms, each covering a different theme: In sport. In the stadium. In a frenzy. Exhibits in the first room traced a historical arc from ancient times and the Olympic Games to the modern era – including the ‘Total War’ speech delivered in the Berlin Sportpalast in 1943 – illuminated the interplay between sport and politics, and between sport and commerce and, finally, examined fan culture. The second station displayed stadium architecture. In the center stood the two stadiums designed by gmp that were also the locations of the opening and final games in the current European Championship – the Polish National Stadium in Warsaw, and the Olympic Stadium in Kiev – surrounded by eighteen impressive stadium buildings from the past century. In the third room, all these threads of information were woven together in a breathtaking and powerful film. Thus, there were many elements that contributed to the development of the leitmotif. The sports stadium alone – whether an open arena such as the Circus Maximus in Rome or a modern stadium building – would be inadequate to cover the entire range of topics, so we decided to develop an abstraction of the Mexican wave. We wanted to give an impression of the masses that would extend beyond the stadium; choreographed masses standing outside time in the area of tension between society, politics, and sports. The result was the reduced bar design that visualizes the dramatic moment through a deliberate layering of erect (yellow) and partially slanted (black) bars. But this sort of compact design works only in combination with a typography that can interact with the bars; a typography that is striking but also merges with the masses. Rotis just wasn’t up to the job. First there’s the purely formal problem of the individual letters taking up too much space and, secondly, it’s just not part of Rotis’ character – as described earlier – to merge with the masses. We decided to use Grotzec, an extremely narrow sans serif typeface designed by Mário Feliciano for a magazine headline (1998–2004) that entered the market as an OpenType font in 2009. But because the exhibition was for the most part text-heavy, it needed an easily readable, wide type family on the side. DTL Dorian, a modern serif typeface designed for the Dutch Type Library (DTL) by Elmo van Slingerland in 1997, offered the requisite readability while also lending the right atmosphere to the history-charged subject matter. Summary: Rotis can’t play a bar.

Tom Wibberenz

gmp bild: grafik tom wibberenz

Font Grotzec Condensed and DTL Dorian Format DIN A1

concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 23

CHOREOGRAPHIE DER MASSEN IM SPORT. IM STADION. IM RAUSCH.

Weiherelief mit Darstellung eines Wagenrennens (Anfang 4. Jh. v. Chr.)

Die zahlreichen Darstellungen von sportlichen Wettkämpfen auf Vasen und Amphoren – die ja Gebrauchsgegenstände waren – zeigen die Allgegenwart des sports in Griechenland.

sPort und gesellschaFt Der körperliche Wettstreit um seiner selbst willen war auch in Griechenland nicht unumstritten. Der Dichter Xenophanes vergleicht in einer Elegie die Verdienste eines Sportlers mit Bürgersinn und Engagement für die eigene polis:

„Freilich falls einer den Sieg mit den hurtigen Füßen erstreitet / Oder im fünffachen Kampf drüben im Haine des Zeus / Nahe dem Pisas-Quell in Olympia oder als Ringer / Oder auch weil er der Faust schmerzende Künste versteht, / Oder im schrecklichen Wrangeln, im Allkampf, wie sie ihn nennen: / Dem wird sein wachsender Ruhm hoch von den Bürgern bestaunt. / Auch ein Ehrenplatz ist, ganz vorne, beim Wettkampf ihm sicher, / Und mit Speise versieht reich ihn der Speicher der Stadt. / Gar eine Ehrengabe erhält er, ein währendes Kleinod, / Siegte auch bloß sein Gespann: Alles erringt dieser Mann, / Der doch nicht so viel wert ist wie ich! Denn besser als jede / Stärke von Mann und Pferd ist meine Weisheit und Kunst. / Wahrlich ein wenig erfreulicher Brauch, wenn Bürger zu Unrecht / Höher bewerten die Kraft als einen tüchtigen Geist. / Fände sich aber im Volk ein trefflicher Meister der Fäuste, / Einer im fünffachen Kampf, einer als Ringer bewährt, / Einer als Sieger im hurtigen Lauf (der immer den Vorrang / Unter den Künsten der Kraft männlicher Streiter genießt) / Wäre deswegen die Stadt gewiss nicht gerechter verwaltet; / Und nur geringen Genuss brächte ihr sicher der Sieg, / den ein Bürger gewinnt im Wettstreit am Ufer des Pisas; / Dadurch füllen sich nicht, glaubt mir’s, die Speicher der Stadt.“

Das Zeltdach über dem stadion, unter dem sich die Zuschauer auch anders verhalten – die Architektur prägt die menschen.

rom

architeKtur und toPograPhie

Vorgeschichte München hatte seit 1958 zwar mehr als eine Million Einwohner, aber eine schwache Infrastruktur, was den Verkehr anbelangte, und war zudem schlecht mit Sportstätten ausgestattet. Die Stadt hatte das lästige Image vom Millionendorf. Der sozialdemokratische Oberbürgermeister HansJochen Vogel wollte München einerseits modernisieren, andererseits wegen

Die Forderung der Auslobung in dem ausgeschriebenen Wettbewerb für Architekten hieß Eines der plakate zu den spielen – auch hier ist der Unterschied zu 1936 deutlich: spiel gegen pathos.

einer oppositionellen CSU-Landesregierung dafür finanzielle Mittel von der Bundesregierung bekommen. 1965 regte der damalige Präsident des Nationalen Olympischen Komitees, Willi Daume, eine Kandidatur der Stadt für die Spiele an.

szenierung mittels Architektur wurde mit Axialität, die demokratische Inszenierung der Bun-

Dazu mussten Probleme gelöst werden: Auf der einen Seite stand politisch die Frage, ob und wie man sich nach Nationalsozialismus und Krieg – und dem Image der Spiele von 1936 – international darstellen könnte (schließlich hatte München als Hauptstadt der Bewegung eine problematische Vergangenheit), auf der anderen Seite hatte man die Hoffnung, erhebliche Mittel von der Bundesrepublik für den notwendigen Stadtumbau zu erhalten. 1966 erhielt München den Zuschlag für die Spiele gegen die Konkurrenten Detroit, Montreal und Madrid. Kern der Idee war die Lage der Olympiabauten mit dem Olympischen Dorf innenstadtnah auf dem Oberwiesenfeld – einem ehemaligen Militär- und Flugplatzgelände – und der Leitgedanke Olympischer Spiele im Grünen und der kurzen Wege, wie es etwas holprig in der Auslobung für den Architektenwettbewerb 1966/1967 hieß. Den 1. Preis gewann das Architekturbüro Behnisch & Partner aus Stuttgart mit Günter Behnisch, Fritz Auer, Winfried Büxel, Erhard Tränkner, kehr). Begründung des Preisgerichts: „Die für den Entwurf typische ModelIierung des Geländes bildet einen nicht nur ökonomischen, sondern auch

nem Trümmerberg animierte zur Abkehr von

der strengen, axialen Ausrichtung des Berliner Reichssportfeldes: Die nationalsozialistische In-

Karl-Heinz Weber, Heinz Isler (Konstruktion), Ulrich Hunsdörfer (Verxenophanes (geb. 570 v. chr.)

„Die architektonische Antwort auf die Forderung ,Olympiade im Grünen‘ hieß ,Olympische Landschaft‘. Diesem Ansatz unterstellt waren alle Teile des Entwurfes, auch die Sportstätten. Geländemulden ähnlich liegen sie im Olympiapark, vereint mit dem Berg, dem See, den Wegen, den Bäumen. Sport in Geländemulden also, nicht Sport in Häusern. Die üblichen Überdachungen von Sportstätten schieden in diesem Zusammenhang aus. (…) Auch desrepublik mit kurvig-beschwingter Landschaft diese Sportmulden mußten vor Wind und Wetter geschützt und architektonischer Asymmetrie assoziiert. werden. Ein leichter, auf ein Minimum an materiellem Aufwand Die Gewinner des Wettbewerbes schrieben darbestehender Schirm schien uns angemessen. Dieser Vorstellung über später: kam ein leichtes, vorgespanntes Flächentragwerk aus Stahlnetzen mit einer lichtdurchlässigen Wetterhaut am nächsten. (…) Neue Planungsmethoden, neue Berechnungsmethoden, neue Fertigungstechniken, neue Details und vieles andere mußten für das Dach in München erfunden werden, außerordentliche Ingenieurleistungen waren erforderlich und wurden erbracht. (…) So übersieht man leicht, daß das Wesentliche unseres Entwurfes unter und neben dem Dach liegt; es ist die Sport- und Spiellandschaft des Münchner Olympiaparks.“ Olympia im Grünen. Die Idee eines modulierten Olympiaparks auf dem Oberwiesenfeld mit sei-

Werbeplakat in den „leichten“ Farben der beabsichtigten „heiteren spiele“

im Luftbild zeigt sich die offene, leichte struktur der Gesamtanlage.

günter behnisch, „das dach über der landschaft“

vom städtebaulichen Gesichtspunkt her zu würdigenden Ausgangspunkt für die Lösung der Aufgabe, die Masse der olympischen Bauten in einem von der Natur nicht ausgezeichneten Gelände unterzubringen.“ Das Dach spielte also zunächst noch keine entscheidende Rolle. 26

sport iN DEr ANtiKE

„ C i t i U s , A Lt i U s , F o r t i U s “ : D i E m o D E r N E N o Ly m p i s C H E N s p i E L E

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

gmp 建筑师事务所建筑作品展

Designing in Dialogue The Architecture of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners 中国国家博物馆，南 8 展厅 2013 年 8月 8 日— 8月 25日 An exhibition at the National Museum of China, Hall S8, Beijing August 8 — 25, 2013

Designing in Dialogue /

青岛大剧院 The Grand Theater Qingdao 图片

Photo: Christian Gahl

www.gmp-architekten.de

www.uedmagazine.net

Font Akzidenz Grotesk Format DIN A1 March 2011 saw the debut of the international touring exhibition ‘Designing in Dialogue. The Architecture of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners’ in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Using sketches, drawings, models, and brilliant architectural photos, it offered an in-depth look at the diversity of gmp’s conceptual and completed work. The exhibition has travelled to Santiago de Chile, Hanoi, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai and, most recently, the National Museum of China in Beijing. The corporate design for the exhibition is based on high-quality photographic images that are selected for the exhibition sites and cover entire surfaces. This linear thinking is combined with a color palette that we have developed to locate the exhibition within the region. A colored block appears on the exhibition posters that conveys information in two ways: It displays all the relevant exhibition data while its color code references the continent of the exhibition site. These two elements reflect the exhibition’s concept – a superb presentation of completed projects and internationality displayed through color. But the concept of this touring exhibition can’t be reduced to the character of a mere show of works. As the title ‘Designing in Dialogue’ indicates, its goal is to provide insight into a specific architectural philosophy centered on dialogical design. Probably the most famous dialog model is that of William Isaac, which is based on the idea of a stable ‘container’ where dialog can take place – provided the fundamental requirements for dialog are met: listening, respecting, suspending assumptions, articulating. gmp exhibition or not, the very fact that “dialogical design assumes that architects represent society and not themselves” (as stated in the exhibition text for ‘Designing in Dialogue’ in Rio de Janeiro) called into question the suitability of Rotis as the exhibition font. Once again, it was a matter of selecting a typography that was internationally readable (as far as writing systems permit) and promoted dialog through restraint, but was also expressive enough to do justice to the variety and consistency of gmp’s more than 45year history.

As previously mentioned, Rotis’ inflexible stance, its inability to transform itself, and its uncompromising distinctiveness rendered it impossible in the context of this exhibition. What we actually needed we found in Akzidenz Grotesk. Akzidenz Grotesk might easily be called the archetypical European san serif typeface. At the close of the 19th century, it was released in four type styles under the name ‘Royal Grotesk’ for use in the publications of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences at Berlin. Akzidenz Grotesk reflected the progressive thinking of the late-19th century: a sober, technocratic typeface as the antithesis to the playful serif typeface representing the ‘old order.’ It quickly advanced from its position as favorite display type to becoming a text type. In the late 1950s one of the world’s most important typographers, Günter Gerhard Lange (*April 12, 1921, † December 2, 2008), took it over and by the mid-80s had expanded and fine-tuned it for Berthold AG. Akzidenz Grotesk, the ultimate sans serif typeface, has influenced many fonts, including Folio, Univers, Super Grotesk and, of course, Helvetica – perhaps because it combines a matter-of-fact appearance with classic-modern appeal. This, along with its clear look and feel in headlines and body text, contributed to our decision to use Akzidenz Grotesk as the corporate font for ‘Designing in Dialogue.’ Akzidenz Grotesk creates the space in which dialog is possible, a space that invites listening and where an architectural approach can be freely articulated. Summary: Robert de Niro wasn’t up to the role, it was a job for his Godfather, Marlon Brando.

Tom Wibberenz

concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013 – 25

Diseñando en Diálogo La arquitectura de von Gerkan, Marg und Partner Designing in Dialogue The Architecture of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners

08 de abril al 15 de mayo de 2011 MAC Quinta Normal Av. Matucana 464, Quinta Normal ⁄ Metro Quinta Normal Santiago › www.mac.uchile.cl

Embajada de la República Federal de Alemania Santiago de Chile PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DE CHILE

FACULTAD DE ARQUITECTURA DISEÑO Y ESTUDIOS URBANOS

Kiến trúc trong đối thoại Công ty kiến trúc von Gerkan, Marg và thành viên Designing in Dialogue The Architecture of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners

Triển lãm đu ợc tổ chú c tại Nhà tru ng bày triển lãm của Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh tù ngày 28.03. đến 06.04.2011. 92 Lê Thánh Tôn ⁄ Bên Nghé ⁄ District 1⁄ Ho Chi Minh City An exhibition at the Exhibition Hall Ho Chi Minh City 28 March to 6 April · 92 Lê Thánh Tôn ⁄ Bên Nghé ⁄ District 1 Ho Chi Minh City

中国国家博物馆

青岛大剧院

中国航海博物馆，临港新城

河内博物馆

南宁国际会议展览中心

北京，中国

中国

上海，中国

越南

中国

设计竞赛：2004 年，一等奖方案设计：曼哈德·冯·格康，斯特凡·胥茨，施蒂芬·瑞沃勒，多莉丝·舍弗勒项目负责人：马提亚斯·魏格曼, 帕特里克·弗雷德尔中方合作设计单位：中国建筑科学研究院设计院业主：中国国家博物馆建设周期：2005 年—2010 年建筑面积：192,000 平方米

设计竞赛：2004 年，一等奖方案设计：曼哈德·冯·格康和斯特凡·胥茨，以及尼古拉斯·博兰克中方合作设计单位：上海华东建筑设计研究院有限公司业主：青岛国信大剧院有限公司建设周期：2005 年—2010 年建筑面积：59,000 平方米

咨询设计：2005 年方案设计：曼哈德·冯·格康合伙人：尼古劳斯·格茨项目负责人：克劳斯·伦茨，马库斯·汤臣中方合作设计单位：上海建筑设计研究院业主：上海港城开发（集

设计竞赛：2005 年，一等奖方案设计：曼哈德·冯·格康，尼古劳斯·格茨，和克劳斯·伦茨项目负责人：马库斯·汤臣，文宣承联合设计：Inros Lackner AG 业主：河内文化信息部建设周期：2008 年—2010 年总建筑面积：30,000 平方米屋面：92.4 米 × 92.4 米

Nanning International Convention & Exhibition Center China

National Museum of China Beijing, China Competition 2004 – 1st Prize Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Stephan Rewolle and Doris Schäffler Project leaders Matthias Wiegelmann, Patrick Pfleiderer Chinese partner practice CABR Client The National Museum of China Construction period 2005 – 2010 Gross floor area 192,000 m² The Chinese National Museum represents the merger of the former Chinese History Museum and Chinese Revolutionary Museum. The museum was expanded with a sequence of buildings towards the east containing a large proportion of the exhibition area. The former central structure and east wing of the old building were removed, so that the remaining parts of the refurbished old building enclose the new building on three sides. From the two main entrances, visitors pass into the core area – a 260 meter long forum that dovetails the new building with the old building on its original symmetrical axis. In their scale and dimensions, the arcades are typologically a cross between old and new architecture.

亚洲

团）有限公司建设周期：2006 年—2009 年建筑面积：46,400 平方米

青岛大剧院选址于青岛崂山区，位于新规划出的从崂山山脚延伸至海边的园林景观中。如此非凡的地理位置，促使人们将天然的美景引入建筑语汇，从而塑造出一座继承了场所精神并且独一无二的建筑综合体。如同山峰一般的建筑体拔地而起，浮云般的屋顶轻盈的环绕其四周。

中国首个航海博物馆坐落于一个5 平方公里的人工湖湖畔---这是临港新城的中心区域，由填海造地而得。在博物馆广场中央，矗立着两座58米高的“风帆”，进一步隐喻着港口中扬帆待发的船只。如大教堂般的内部空间陈列着一艘仿真明代帆船。

Qingdao Grand Theater China

China Maritime Museum Lingang New City, Shanghai, China

Competition 2004 – 1st Prize Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Nicolas Pomränke Chinese partner practice ECADI Client Qingdao Conson Industrial Corporation Construction period 2005 –2010 Gross floor area 59,000 m²

Consultancy 2005 Design Meinhard von Gerkan Partner Nikolaus Goetze Project leaders Klaus Lenz, Marcus Tanzen Chinese partner practice SIADR Client Shanghai Harbour City Development Group Co., Ltd. Construction period 2006 – 2009 Gross floor area 46,400 m²

Located in the Laoshan district of Qingdao the Grand Theater is placed along a newly created park, which stretches from the sea to the foot of the Laoshan Mountains. In view of this extraordinary location it is highly attractive to implement the genius loci into architectural appearance. Like a mountain landscape the building is growing from the ground, and a roof that is similar to a light and floating cloud surrounds this “architectural landscape”.

China’s first ever Maritime Museum is situated on the shore of a five square kilometer artificial lake that has been reclaimed from the Sea – the lake being the core piece of the new city development. The ana logy of a ship in a port is developed further in the symbolism of the two “sails” with a height of 58 meter each, located almost in the middle of the museum square. The enormous cathedral-like interior space allows the display of a fully rigged junk.

中国国家博物馆由中国历史博物馆和中国革命博物馆合并而成。扩建的新馆为一个嵌入式的建筑体，向东面延伸，大部分内部空间用于展览。老馆的中央大厅和东翼被拆除，这就使得改建后的老馆旧建筑从三面围合着新馆。参观者经由两个主入口可到达博物馆的中心区域：这是一个260 米长的入口大厅，它将新老馆沿着原有的对称轴线接榫在一起。拱廊的尺度和体量在新老馆之间创造出一种崭新的空间体验。

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在正方形的建筑体中庭内，一座圆形的挑空大厅将入口层面与其上的三层展览空间连接起来。建筑体如同倒置的金字塔，上方悬挑出的楼层在其下方楼层处形成阴影，是为节能设计的一部分。因为博物馆的内部空间不受阳光直射，这也对文物展品起到了保护作用。而这样的空间构成让人们从室内向外观望时，仿佛“漂浮”于周边的景观之上。作为该建筑显著特征的螺旋形坡道将参观者引入更高的楼层，走在上面，能从多个视角一览入口大厅和展览区域。

Hanoi Museum Vietnam Competition 2005 – 1st Prize Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze with Klaus Lenz Project leaders Marcus Tanzen, Tuyen Tran Viet Co-operation with Inros Lackner Client Hanoi Culture and Information Department Construction period 2008 – 2010 Gross floor area 30,000 m² Roof 92.4 m × 92.4 m Within the square building, a central circular atrium links the entrance level with the three exhibition levels. The upwardly projecting stories cause in each of the layers below a shading, which is part of the energy efficiency concept. Since the interior spaces are protected from direct sunlight, also a conservative impact is created for the exhibits. For visitors, the effect is that, when looking out, they seem to be floating over the landscape. Visitors to the museum reach the upper levels via a spiral ramp. As the dominant feature, the ramp offers perspectives into the entrance hall and exhibition areas.

Asia

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

Glossary /

Antiqua, type classification Rounded print or screen type of Roman origin with or without serifs. Apart from the blackletter and non-Roman types, all Western-European print typefaces of Roman origin belong to this type classification. The antiqua type classification is divided into serif, slab serif, and sans serif.

Font (from the French fonte meaning ‘casting’) Used to designate a type or character set. In typography, it especially refers to a digital set of screen, pixel, or print characters. Fonts are available in different technologies for different operating systems, operating system versions, application software, and apps.

Blind embossing Creation of three-dimensional patterns, motifs, or type using heat and pressure to raise paper fibers by sandwiching the paper between a metal die (made of brass or magnesium) and a counter die. No ink is involved.

Hairline stroke In typefaces with a high degree of contrast between stroke weights, refers to the thinnest stroke.

Caps Refers to capital letters, also called uppercase. ‘Small caps’ are miniature capital letters that appear stunted and should never be used. Centered dot Usually displayed at half cap height (= half the height of capital letters) and having the same weight as a period on the baseline (horizontal line on which the bottoms of characters appear to rest). It serves as a separator between two words or as a multiplication sign. Corporate color The specific shade a company has selected to communicate the corporate character. Secondary corporate colors are all the colors required for generating the desired image; unlike the primary corporate colors, secondary colors are not used in the logo. Corporate typeface The corporate typeface is a company’s uniform typographical appearance. It reflects and reinforces the corporate character through consistent usage. Typefaces used in the logo are not necessarily used elsewhere in corporate communications. Counter The enclosed or partially enclosed negative space inside a letter.

Kerning In kerning, individually-determined amounts of space are added or subtracted between characters to improve the overall appearance of blocks of text, words, or character combinations. Lowercase Typographical term for small or non-capital letters. Another less common term is minuscule. Mixed type The combination of two or more type styles within a type family, typeface, or type classification. Outline fonts Fonts whose individual letters appear only in outline, as opposed to solid fonts. Redesign The refreshing or updating of a company’s visual identity, usually undertaken in response to internal or external market factors. Sans serif Rounded print typeface of Roman origin without serifs; also called linear. Serif A short line or finishing stroke added to a Roman character of a serif typeface.

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Spiekermann, Erik Designer and typographer, co-founder of the MetaDesign design consultancy and of the font manufacturer FSI Fontshop International, as well as Honorary Professor at the University of the Arts, Bremen, Germany. Stem stroke The main stroke of a letterform. Each letter can have only one stem stroke. Times A Roman serif family of typefaces designed by Stanley Morison in 1932. Tracking In tracking, an equal amount of space is added or subtracted between a series of character pairs. Tracking serves to emphasize a word or block of text. Type classification The main group to which a print or screen typeface belongs. Examples of type classifications are antiqua, blackletter, and non-Roman.

shapes and proportions. Type systems usually include two, three, or four type families made up of different typefaces, each with its own type styles, i.e. serif, slab serif, sans serif, and/or semi serif print typefaces. Univers A linear sans serif antiqua designed by Adrian Frutiger between 1950/1951 and 1956 and released by the Deberny & Peignot type foundry in 1957. With this typeface, Frutiger created a new type of sans serif that became one of the most popular sans serif print types in the world. Uppercase Typographical term for capital letters. Another less common term is majuscule. Vertical type Words or lines that are rotated 90 degrees. When the word or line is positioned on the left side of the type area, the text should read from bottom to top. If positioned on the right, it should read from top to bottom.

Type family A group of associated type styles with different type widths, weights, and stresses that generally originated from the same typeface designer and share common letterform characteristics. A type family comprises at least one basic style (e.g. Regular) for the base type, two ‘quiet’ styles (e.g. Italic), and one ‘loud’ style (e.g. Bold). Type style Refers to a variation of a print or screen font within a type family that is related to the width, weight, and stress of an alphabet. For example, Agfa Rotis has the Light, Regular, Italic, Bold, and Extra Bold styles. Instead of names, type styles are also identified by numbers. For example, regular ‘55’ and italic ‘56.’ Type system A group of associated typefaces that were developed from one basic body and whose letters, numbers, and special characters generally have the same basic

Sources: http://www.typografie.info; http://www.typolexikon.de; Paulmann, Robert: double loop. Mainz, Hermann Schmidt, 2005; Forsmann, Friedrich/ De Jong, Ralf: Detailtypografie. Mainz, Hermann Schmidt, 2002; Lechner, Susanne: typoquiz. Mainz, Hermann Schmidt, 2001

– concrete gmp – Office Berlin – 08/11.2013

Office Berlin / PROJ EC T S su c c ess f u l c o m p e t i t i o n e n t r y

The Qianhai Integrated Transportation Hub, Shenzhen, China Competition, first prize – With the aid of a direct link to Hong Kong, the new district on Qianhai Bay in east Shenzhen is to be developed into a new financial center. The “Traffic Hub” – a sophisticated multifunctional complex uniting eight railway stations and a border control station, as well as retail and office spaces – will be located at the center of the 45-hectare planning area. This area will be bisected by an interior “canyon” that will provide addresses for the highrises and generate an urban space rich in variety. Like the ground plan, the silhouette of the towers and podiums will be characterized by ups and downs. Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Nicolas Pomränke Project management Martin Gänsicke, Jens Weiler Team Clemens Kampermann, George Liang, Johannes Erdmann, Amelie Kulassek, Xu Ji, Qin Wei, Jan Deml, Zhou Bin, Thilo Zehme

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su c c ess f u l c o m p e t i t i o n e n t r y

Xiamen Xiang An Sports and Culture Complex, Xiamen, China Competition, first prize – A Sports Center with a 50,000-seat stadium, 10,000-seat multifunction arena, and 2,000-seat swim stadium is to be built as a social center for the new Xiang’an Development Zone northeast of Xiamen. The sports buildings have a uniform façade of textile elements evocative of the egret, the symbol of Xiamen. The unifying module of the square, whose southern orientation is ideal for stadiums and residential buildings, creates a common structure. The variation in size and arrangement of elements creates spaces rich in variety. To guarantee high usage even when no sporting events are being held, the public spaces are furnished with numerous sports and activity areas. The sports venues are also surrounded by commercially usable areas to generate an attractive, busy, and urbane public space during the off-season. Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Nicolas Pomränke Project management Ralf Sieber Design team Sebastian Pohle, LinLin Yang, Anna Bulanda, Cheng Huang, Kevin Karancsi, Thilo Zehme, Jan Deml, Zhou Bin, Matthias Fruntke

– concrete gmp – Office Berlin – 08/11.2013

Office Berlin / PROJ EC T S su c c ess f u l c o m p e t i t i o n e n t r y

New Sports and Leisure Pool Facilities, Brauhausberg, Potsdam Competition, first prize, July 2013, contract negotiations – The starting point for the design was Potsdam’s landscape, which is characterized by a dense framework of water, topography, and architecture. The building is designed as a compact cube. The activities inside are clearly evident from the exterior structure. Wide openings on the ground floor identify areas such as the foyer, catering facilities, and sports pool, as well as the leisure pool, which has large glazed surfaces on its northern and western sides. An exterior space that is protected from street traffic is created on the western side and serves as a sunbathing lawn adjacent to the pool area, thus taking advantage of the afternoon and evening sun. In contrast, the sauna and wellness area is located in a massive enclosed block on the upper level to ensure privacy and quiet, and appears to float above the

externally oriented bathing area on the first floor. Inside the swimming hall, a varied spatial landscape is created based on the principle of subtraction. Some of the recesses and apertures in the cube are filled with water in the form of pools or air in the form of gardens, but some also contain functional elements and stairs. With its recesses for a sauna garden and pool, the building’s roof forms a fifth façade. Visible from Brauhausberg, the complex serves as a visual reference point and forms another tile in Potsdam’s colorful mosaic of water and urban architecture. Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff with Kristian Spencker Design team Silvia Schneider, Katja Godejohann, Daniel Tomé, Veit Lieneweg, Oliver Boersch, Arihan Senocak

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Construction started

Palace of Culture, Dresden Construction started – At the end of August 2013, the conversion, modernization, and refurbishment of Dresden’s Palace of Culture officially began. A construction site has been set up. With the redesign of the concert hall and integration of the municipal library, the Palace of Culture – first opened in 1969 – will resume its original role as the city’s main cultural gathering place. Its unique central location between Altmarkt (Old Market Square), the castle area, and Neumarkt (New Market Square) makes it potentially accessible from all sides with a spatial and conceptual openness that restores its function as a place of civic meeting. The historical arrangement of rooms around the central concert hall, including the foyer area on the Altmarkt, the choir practice room, the historic butterfly staircases, and the façades, are being renovated in accordance with specifications for monument preservation and to improve energy efficiency. At the center of the building interior a new concert hall is being implemented that will be the chief venue for the Dresden Philharmonic as well as a multifunction hall. Additional uses for the Palace will include a cabaret, the Visitor Center near the Frauenkirche, and the Dresden Information Offices. The first concert is scheduled for March 2017. Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Nicolas Pomränke Project management, competition Clemens Kampermann Design team Verena Kiewardt Project management, work phases 2–9 Christian Hellmund Implementation team Clemens Ahlgrimm, Roman Bender, Stephanie Brendel, Verena Coburger, Julius Hüpeden, Annette Löber, Anna Lieseke, Patrick Machnacki, Giuseppina Orto, Michael Scholz, René Wiegand, Dörte Groß Project management, construction Bernd Adolf C o n s t r u c t i o n p r o g r ess

New DRV Office Eisenzahnstrasse, Berlin Construction progress – Since the cornerstone for the new DRV office building was laid on June 19, 2013, rapid progress is being made on the shell. The five-story administration building with its comb-like structure and brick façade stretches along Eisenzahnstrasse. Its 25,000 square meter floor area will accommodate DRV’s offices, computer center, print room, and mail room and serve around 1,000 employees. Completion is planned for the first half of 2015. Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff Associate partner Jochen Köhn Project management Rüdiger von Helmolt, Kerstin Bandekow Implementation team Ferhat Yildirim, Katharina Broese, Christin Steuer, Semira Abdula, Anja Menge Construction supervision Peter Gerigk, Karl Baumgarten, Elisabeth Menne, Sebastian Seibert Construction management team Stefan Both, Diana Helbig, Claudia Busch, Christina Matz, Andreas Ebner, Ayse Sektioglu, Dörte Groß

– concrete gmp – Corporate Design – 08/11.2013

Corporate Design You Can Touch! / Paper by Fedrigoni is one of the most important components of our design. For our image brochures, cards, folders, sleeves, and envelopes, for example, we use Sirio Color Vermiglione (red), Pietra (gray), and Limone (yellow). The leaflet is Sirio Color Limone, 80g/m². Kindly supported by Fedrigoni.

www.fedrigoni.de

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F E D R I G O N I . F E I N S T PA P I E R M A N U FA K T U R S E I T 1 8 8 8 Das Streben nach Exklusivität und die Leidenschaft für das Besondere haben FEDRIGONI immer wieder motiviert, Außergewöhnliches zu bieten: Feinstpapiere auf höchstem Niveau. So überzeugt die italienische Feinstpapiermanufaktur FEDRIGONI heute Designer, Drucker und Verarbeiter gleichermaßen. Das einzigartige Papiersortiment umfasst über 3.000 Varianten: Natur- und Feinstpapiere, Spezialpapiere für den Digitaldruck, Konsumpapiere, Haftpapiere und veredelte Kartonagen. FEDRIGONI bietet als Hersteller optimale Flexibilität, direkte Nähe zur Produktion, kurzfristige Lieferzeiten, kompetente Ansprechpartner vor Ort sowie einen kostenlosen Musterservice und steht damit für Zuverlässigkeit und Kompetenz.

www.fedrigoni.de

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– concrete gmp – Office Berlin – 08/11.2013

Office Berlin / PROJ EC T S S t a d iu m s i n Russi a

Stadiums in Russia Ongoing projects – In 2011 we had already won the competition for the FC Krasnodar stadium. Currently the general detail plans for the façade and landscaped areas are being developed; the opening is set for 2016. Three projects for the 2018 World Cup are in the design phase. Permit applications are being prepared with local partners for the Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, and

Volgograd locations. All the stadiums must be ready to open by May 2017. A study was also prepared for the conversion of the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow that ensured its status as a venue for the 2018 World Cup. Planning for the modernization will commence shortly.

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, 2018 World Cup, Russia The new 45,000-seat World Cup stadium is located at the confluence of the Oka and Volga Rivers. Water is an important element for the city that stands for innovation, high technology, and unique architecture. The stadium design combines structural order with dynamic elements. The undulating tier geometry has four peaks and shimmers through a curved, convex façade. Enclosed by a highly efficient roof construction with a regularly spaced ring of columns, the stadium forms a unique urban landmark. The compact geometry of the stands comprises rows of steps running parallel to the playing field. The stadium is divided into upper and lower tiers, thus permitting maximum seat-

ing at the halfway line and behind the goals and minimizing the number of seats with a limited view. An exclusive skybox with an adjoining hospitality club is available for VIPs. Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff Associate partner Jochen Köhn Director, Russia Martin Krebes Project management Fabian Kirchner, Philipp Weber Team Nikolai Reich, Veit Lieneweg, Michael Scholz, Galina Sendrauskas, Natallia Bushuyeva, Elena Flegler, Ruthie Gould, Kseniia Riabschenko, Ramona Schwertfeger, Chris Hättasch

FC Krasnodar Stadium, Russia The 36,000-seat stadium for the Russian first division team FC Krasnodar is under construction. A natural stone façade encompasses the oval-shaped building. In contrast, the stadium bowl façade is made of modern materials. The light-weight cable construction of the membrane roof is not visible from the outside.

Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff Associate partner Jochen Köhn Project management Igor Markov, Martin Krebes Team Fabian Kirchner, Barbara Düring, Monika Kwiatkowski, Elena Flegler, Nadja Hossak, Ivanka Perkovic, Philipp Weber, Ruthie Gould, Kseniia Riabchenko, Chris Hättasch

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S t a d iu m s i n Russi a

Volgograd Stadium, 2018 World Cup, Russia The woven appearance of the stadium façade reflects the traditional Russian art of weaving. Different levels in the façade create a systematized structural complexity within the perfect hyperbolic building shape. At night, firework-like lighting moods illuminate the structural elements of the façade, intensifying the majestic atmosphere of major events. The circular stadium shape fits perfectly into the proposed master plan, mediates between its central thoroughfares, and references its urban surroundings. The stadium’s north-west orientation meets FIFA and UEFA requirements. The geometry of the stands provides perfect viewing conditions for all 45,000 spectators while

a linear tier geometry parallel to the playing field reduces construction costs. Located near Volgograd’s Motherland Monument, the stadium will be a highly visible landmark.

Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff Associate partner Jochen Köhn Director, Russia Martin Krebes Project management Nikolai Reich Team Fabian Kirchner, Philipp Weber, Veit Lieneweg, Helge Lezius, Galina Sendrauskas, Natallia Bushuyeva, Elena Flegler, Anne Groß

Samara Stadium, 2018 World Cup, Russia Inspired by the local aircraft, metal, and machine engineering industries and by the motion of flight, the stadium’s dynamic outer shell was designed to resemble a flying object, thus generating a highly visible and unique urban silhouette. The individual, blade-like structural elements and their repetitive arrangement and metal skin create a rotational effect that reinforces the stadium’s dynamic appearance and allows the events taking place inside to be experienced outside. The stadium is located in the heart of a picturesque landscape surrounded by vacation settlements and linked to existing major traffic arteries. A new TV tower is to be built along the north-south axis. The stadium, newly designed infrastructure, and tower will be a future center of

attraction for the entire Samara region. The stadium’s compact bowl geometry with space for 45,000 spectators provides an optimal view of the playing field while the optimized linear tier geometry parallel to the playing field minimizes construction costs.

Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff Associate partner Jochen Köhn Director, Russia Martin Krebes Project management Michael Scholz, Galina Sendrauskas Team Elena Flegler, Fabian Kirchner, Philipp Weber, Natallia Bushuyeva, Nikolai Reich

– concrete gmp – Office Berlin – 08/11.2013

Office Berlin / PROJ EC T S Competitions

New Visitor Center for Gärten der Welt, Berlin Competition, third prize – As entrance building, the Visitor Center is the threshold to the park and mediates between the city and green space. With its square plot, the design references the architectural events in the park behind it. Like the individual theme gardens, its clear geometry presents an independent figure at the edge of the park that communicates its inscribed purpose – to receive and accompany the streams of visitors into the gardens.

Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff with Kristian Spencker Design team Katja Godejohann, Daniel Tomé, Claudia Stelzmann, Veit Lieneweg, Helge Lezius

Tongan Hotel, Xiamen, China Competition, third prize – The concept for the design of two five-star hotels is based on a logical spatial arrangement of low blocks with shared architectural characteristics. All the buildings appear in a clear square dimension with a maximum height of five stories and a distinctly horizontal outline. The rotation of the blocks by 45 degrees creates an attractive view of the sea and of the area to the south, while also generating interesting exteriors around the blocks and establishing a spatial permeability between the city and the shore.

Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Ralf Sieber Project management Ralf Sieber Team Sebastian Pohle, Linlin Yang, Thilo Zehme, Jan Deml, Anna Liesicke, Elsa Tang, Romina Souri, Li Ling, Xu Dong Engagement

Lindow Monastery Engagement in Lindow – In a pro bono commission, gmp-Architekten is designing a roof to cover the open ruin of the convent building at the Lindow monastery in Brandenburg, thereby contributing their experience with the construction of membrane roofs. Their first proposal: a lightweight, translucent membrane roof as weather protection that remains deliberately separate from the historic building substance. As a result, the convent building remains open at the top but is nevertheless protected from wind and rain. The design blends harmoniously with the existing building fabric and will be implemented in close cooperation with the local authority for the preservation of historic buildings. As part of the annual international “Textile Roofs” symposium being held in June 2013 in Berlin, and in cooperation with the event organizers Berlin Technical University, Karlsruhe University, and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, gmp tutored students in a one-week workshop that ran concurrently. During the workshop, concepts for roofing the convent ruin were developed and the designs were elaborated under professional supervision. The results of the workshop were exhibited in September 2013 in the Lindow city hall. At the opening on September 19th, the work was presented to the director, the public, and interested professionals. Team Hubert Nienhoff with Martin Glass and Lena Brögger

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Re c o g n i z e d

gmp Stadiums Take away Two Golds and One Bronze from the IOC/IAKS Awards Recognized – This year’s IOC/IAKS Awards and IPC/IAKS Distinction – the most important international architecture prizes for sports, leisure, and recreational facilities – were conferred on October 23, 2013. A total of 97 projects from 30 countries competed. The Bao’An Stadium in Shenzhen, China was awarded the Gold Medal in the “Major outdoor stadiums” category. In the “Pools and wellness facilities” category, the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in China also won the Gold Medal. The National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland received a Bronze Medal in the “Major outdoor stadiums” category. Congratulations to the teams who worked on these projects! si g n e d

CABR Chinese Design Institute Cooperation agreement signed in Berlin – gmp has collaborated on more than 25 projects with CABR, the Chinese Academy of Building Research in Beijing. So far, ten projects have been implemented with the local partner, including the German School, CYTS, and the Chinese National Museum in Beijing. Four other joint projects are under construction and still others are in the planning phase or are commissioned. To symbolically celebrate this cooperation and to strengthen the ties even further, on July 19, 2013 the two companies signed an agreement to continue collaborating in the future and to implement joint projects in China.

Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Schütz (CEO of gmp) and Prof. Wang Jun (President of the China Academy of Building Research) after signing the cooperation agreement.

– concrete gmp – Office Berlin – 08/11.2013

Office Berlin / PA NOR A M A T h e Ne x t Ge n e r a t i o n

Congratulations to Daniela Waljeur and her husband on the birth of their daughter Marlene on March 2, 2013! All the best to Ferhat Yildirim and his wife on the birth of their daughter Jade Su on March 17, 2013! And congratulations to Susan and Thomas Möllmann, whose son Arthur was born on April 21, 2013! We would also like to congratulate Karoline and Clemens Kampermann on the birth of their daughter Friederike Sophia on May 12, 2013! Best wishes to Veit Lieneweg and Kathrin Otte on the birth of their second daughter, Ella Sophie, on May 10, 2013. And double congratulations

go out to Marcus Liermann and his wife and children on the birth of twins Hedwig and Otto on May 31, 2013 (no photo)! Best wishes for Susanne and Christoph Timmler on the birth of their daughter Alma Charlotte on June 15, 2013! We would also like to congratulate Verena and Christian Kiewardt on the birth of their daughter Hanna on July 22, 2013! And finally, we offer our heartfelt congratulations to Anna von Aulock and her husband on the birth of their second child and the youngest of the next generation, daughter Alma Luise, who came into the world on July 25, 2013!

N E W COLL E AG U E S

New to the China team are architects Shan Hu, Kevin Karanci, Xuda Liu, and Sonia Guil Sanchez. Paulina Bonowicz (no photo), Jessika Krebs (no photo), Pedro Villamor Lopez (no photo), and Sophie Vetter assist the team as interns. We would also like to welcome architects Arihan Burak Senocak, Ksenia Riabchenko, Oliver Boersch, Ramona Schwertfeger, Igor Markov, and Alessio Fossati. Students Olesya Babaryko, Davide Rosa, Natascha Nathan, Anna Maria Kielbassa, Inés Giner Herrero, and Felix Kastner assist the team, along

with intern Alessia Basili. Stefan Hofmann and Elena Flegler are representing gmp Berlin in Moscow. Julia Hilgenberg has returned from parental leave and Katina Roloff has returned from Beijing. Construction management welcomes Roger van Well, Katja Poschmann, and Sebastian Seibert! Evangelia Koika has taken over as head of administration, where Susanne Zimmer has just returned from parental leave. Welcome, one and all!

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Office Hamburg / PROJ EC T S su c c ess f u l c o m p e t i t i o n e n t r y

Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge in Hamburg’s HafenCity District Competition, first prize – The pedestrian and cycle bridge has been nicknamed the “little sister” of Baaken Bridge West and will link the northern neighborhood around the Baakenhafen with the southern area of the games and leisure island. As a steel construction without vertical supports, the bridge fits in well with the material idiom of the dominant elements around the Baakenhafen, such as the quay wall, railway tracks, cranes, and ships, and thus follows in the tradition of the existing bridges in Hamburg’s harbor and HafenCity.

Design Volkwin Marg and Jürgen Hillmer with Ingenieurbüro Knippers Helbig GmbH Project management Andreas Weihnacht Team André Wegmann

– concrete gmp – Office Hamburg – 08/11.2013

Office Hamburg / PROJ EC T S su c c ess f u l c o m p e t i t i o n e n t r y

Guanglian Headquarter Campus, Shanghai-Hongqiao, China Competition, first prize – A new business campus with an above-ground floor area of nearly 480,000 square meters is to be built on the western side of the aspiring Shanghai district of Hongqiao. As competition winner, gmp was commissioned to prepare urban-planning guidelines. The guidelines must be completed by the Fall to permit the marketing of plots beginning in November. The design of the master plan includes concentrically arranged building types. On the left- and right-hand sides of a north-south park axis, four plots represent a clearly hierarchical ensemble. Each center-facing building is designed to stand out from the rest and occupy a superior position in the overall framework.

Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze Project management Evelyn Pasdzierny and Hinrich Müller Team Gudmundur Jonsson, Julia Franzke

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su c c ess f u l c o m p e t i t i o n e n t r y

Public Safety Education Training Base, Shanghai, China Competition, first prize – A new attraction is being added to “Oriental Land” on the western side of Shanghai. Working with Tongji University, the client has developed a building project that is unique in all the world. In an area of around 28,000 square meters, the new training center will provide training in the handling of all types of accidents and disasters. Courses will range from first aid and traffic behavior to fires and natural disasters. The basement will even contain a practice area for evacuating an entire subway train. The five fingers on either side of the central hall will accommodate the training and simulation halls. The skew of the deformed buildings is intended to represent a world thrown off balance by minor and major catastrophes.

Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze Project management Hinrich Müller Team Evelyn Pasdzierny, Dominika Gnatowicz, Gudmundur Jonsson, Alexander Montero, Tanja Gutena

– concrete gmp – Office Hamburg – 08/11.2013

Office Hamburg / PROJ EC T S su c c ess f u l c o m p e t i t i o n e n t r y

Headquarters of Gebrüder Heinemann, Hamburg Competition, first prize – The task was to extend the two existing warehouse buildings between the Magdeburg Harbor and Shanghaiallee to create an “ensemble of three striking blocks that form a harmonious triad representing the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.” The new structure directly adjacent to the headquarters and including underground parking, six floors of offices, and two recessed floors, will be built in line with the “Sustainable Construction in HafenCity” gold standard. Viewed from the northwest, the new extension forms a companion piece to the Maritime Museum, with the two buildings flanking the “Heinemann-Speicher” in the middle. From the Ericus Bridge, the new construction highlights the corner of the ensemble on Shanghaiallee and makes a characteristically urban statement. Although a glazed structure connects it to the “Heinemann-Speicher,” the extension is independently useable with its inviting transparent ground floor that would also be ideal for commercial spaces, an arcade, or a cafe. On the

upper floors, users have maximum flexibility in floor plan design. All the requisite functional areas are compactly organized around the central access area and the available floor space can be used for an open-plan office, individual offices, or anything in between. Like the main building and Maritime Museum, the design is characterized by multistory windows, a vertical façade relief, and brickwork typical of the region. The area freed by the two recessed floors forms two spacious roof terraces/roof gardens, mediates between the different eaves heights of neighboring structures, and adds an urban tone through dramatic cubature.

Design Volkwin Marg and Jürgen Hillmer with Stephanie Joebsch Design team Andreas Weihnacht, Achim Wangler, Tanja Hütter, André Wegmann, Katja Mezger

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Completion

State Archive of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bavaria, Nuremberg Completion – On September 20th the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bavaria in Nuremberg inaugurated its new archive in an official ceremony. The new building consists of two intersecting solid cubes which seem to float above a transparent, receding ground floor. The structure rises out of a base level that is about one meter high along the street and develops into full story height along the downward slope towards the south, including a large terrace offering views of the Wöhrder See lake. The ensemble consists of a solitary building sculpture with main façades on all sides, serving to frame the adjacent Zeissstrasse on one side and the garden of the Theological Seminary to the east on the other side. Seen from across the garden, the new archive appears as a continuation and extension of the Theological Seminary. The plinth of the reinforced steel structure is clad with reddish sandstone that continues the existing sandstone wall and anchors the building within the landscape context. The external walls of the archive are finished in a shiny copper façade with a subtle vertical arrangement. The natural metal surface will undergo various oxidation stages and color changes until it finally develops a velvety, brownish appearance.

Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze Associate partner Dirk Heller Project management Karen Schroeder Design team Christoph Berle, Katharina Traupe, Monika Braig Implementation team Christoph Berle, Meike Schmidt, Miriam Bamberg, Judith Saile, Alexander Schnieber, Sui Jinying

– concrete gmp – Office Hamburg – 08/11.2013

Office Hamburg / PROJ EC T S Completion

SAP Company Headquarters, Tesdorpfstrasse 8, Hamburg Completion – In terms of height, the new seven-story building fits in with its urban surroundings and harmonizes with nearby existing structures, taking into account the eaves heights of the two adjacent buildings and carrying them over into its own staggered floors. The top floor steps back from both the Grand Elysée Hotel and the late-nineteenth-century residential buildings. Two-story arcades define the centrally located entrance area. The architectural shell gives the building an expressiveness that remains unobtrusive. Curves and various projections and setbacks in the façade cause the building to assume a different appearance depending on the viewing angle, whereas the building’s façade of light natural stone attractively integrates the building into the surrounding structures. The two-story window elements set a representative standard. In defined areas, their heights and widths vary to create a diverse image. The glazed hall forms a two-story entrance and serves as the public face of the new building. Users and visitors pass directly through the foyer to the central bank of elevators. The ground floor also accommodates a restaurant. Inaugurated in April of this year, the office building complies with the highest energy standards and has been awarded a gold DGNB certificate.

Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze with Volkmar Sievers Project management Jan Stolte Competition team Alexandra Heise, Christian Dahle, Wiebke Meyenburg, Kerstin Steinfatt, Jared Steinmann Implementation team Tilmann Jarmer, Wiebke Meyenburg, Nina Moelle, Steffen Lepiorz, Raimund Kinski, Martina Klostermann, Ulrich Rösler, Volker Bastian, Som Phone Sysavanh, Julia Weinert, Jonas Starke, Andreas Schulz DGNB auditor Urs Wedekind

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Completion

VTRON Industrial Park, Guangzhou, China Completion – The urban planning goal of the design is to implement an industrial park shaped by the landscape, one in which the architecture and outdoor space stand in equal balance. The formal basis is a square area framed by an arcade roof around its circumference. The arcature unites all the separate areas into one architectural element whose soft shapes harmonize with the scenic motifs. The inner park is designed to modulate the topography of the sloping site and thus create a complex but varied landscape. The projecting contour lines formed by steps for sitting carry over into the ground floors, providing a variety of different spatial impressions within the foyers. Tension is created between the changing levels and the arcade roof with its uniform height. Four tiered blocks tower above the base. The headquarters opens directly onto the imposing forecourt containing pools and fountains, and differs from the other buildings in terms of height, shape, and façade. The two-story main foyer draws visitors and employees directly from the forecourt into the important exhibition and demonstration halls in the headquarters’ base where the company’s products are on display. The southwest highrise, which accommodates VTRON’s production, shipping, and testing facilities, takes up the formal elements of the towers while its compression results in larger continuous surfaces. The two other highrises will be leased to third parties.

Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze with Volkmar Sievers Project management Jan Stolte Competition team Alexandra Heise, Kerstin Steinfatt, Sandra Kroll, Steffen Lepiorz, Theresa Nehls, Patrick Tetzlaff Implementation team Bastian Scholz, Frederik Heisel, He Xiaohua, Pan Xin, Martina Klostermann, Elena Cubillo, Michèle Watenphul

– concrete gmp – Office Hamburg – 08/11.2013

Office Hamburg / PROJ EC T S Di r e c t c o m m issi o n

Ankara International Exhibition and Convention Center, Turkey Direct commission, planning status, submission of schematic design – In the first construction phase, the task is to plan and implement a new convention center on the outskirts of Ankara near the airport in cooperation with the Turkish architectural firm of A Tasarim Mimarlik. The center will have an exhibition area of approximately 50,000 square meters and will be accessed via bridges and a central driveway fronted by the lake, and with light towers that are visible from afar. The innovative convention center concept provides a central oasis in the midst of lively convention activity in the form of a square “silent garden” which, with its well house, takes up the inner courtyard’s theme of an Anatolean caravanserai. Exhibition halls of around 10,000 square meters each are arranged around the inner courtyard and are accessed via the weatherproof belvedere containing catering and service areas. The continuous roof of the entrance hall and belvedere rests on approximately fifteen meter crossed steel supports with roof lights. Design Volkwin Marg and Joachim Zais with Wolfgang Haux Team Radmila Blagovcanin, Johann von Bothmer, Gabi Kottsieper, Peter Radomski, Monica Sallowsky, Angela Schmidtutz, Claudia Schultze

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c o m m issi o n

“Deutsches Haus” in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Commission – Following an application phase of over a year, this July the Vietnamese Foreign Office finally awarded the contract for the “Deutsches Haus” (German House) in Ho Chi Minh City. The project is based on the Hanoi Declaration signed by German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in October 2011. In addition to improving the traditionally friendly relations between the two nations, this agreement also provides for the construction of a German House in Ho Chi Minh City, which will not only promote a cultural exchange but will also serve as a center for German business. Situated in a prominent location, the “Deutsche Haus” is Germany’s showcase in Ho Chi Minh City, gathering under one roof the German General Consulate and its visa office, trade associations, cultural organizations, and representatives from German companies. The approximately 3,510 square meter site is located at one of the most prestigious road axes in the city and is part of a high-density area in District 1. The built area may occupy no more than 65 percent of the plot, so a high degree of utilization is needed to fully exploit the site’s basic value. Zoning allows for an above-ground height of eleven times the plot area.

The role of the “Deutsches Haus” is to represent and demonstrate Germany’s productivity in Vietnam. Cost-effective construction, highly efficient building technology, and technical quality all contribute to making this a prime example of future-oriented architecture. The design takes into account the urban framework and planning specifications for the site. The highrise is divided into several cubes that are interconnected by “glass seams.” Facing the city, the German House stands as a glazed and inviting structure whose façade reflects German technology. The planned double-façade clearly emphasizes the energy-saving construction even in Vietnam’s challenging climatic conditions. The objective is to qualify for DGNB Certification.

Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze with Volkmar Sievers Project management Kordula Noelle Team Elena Cubillo, Marlene Ellmann, Frederik Heisel, Patrick Tetzlaff

– concrete gmp – Office Hamburg – 08/11.2013

Office Hamburg / PROJ EC T S Competition

Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Lyon, France Competition, second prize after year-long Design-and-Build process – The design acknowledges the client’s decision to retain the symmetry of the existing Terminals 1 and 2. Extension of the curvature of the existing Terminal 1 into a connecting structure and the new architectural idiom and urban planning dimension of the new terminal give the design its architectural form. The new terminal comprises a central hall under a square roof panel and an adjacent two-story, L-shaped pier with the associated bridge structures. The roof’s structural design includes lenticular skylight openings. The interplay of convex and concave surfaces creates a unique identity both inside and out. The roof openings and roof lights over the supports divide up the roof surface and direct the sunlight directly into the interior. This plus the light penetrating the glass façades means that the structure requires no artificial lighting during the day; at night artificial light shines out through the openings, defining the terminal’s nocturnal character. Two-story functional buildings bordering the main hall serve as entrance and customs areas on Level 1 and as offices or lounge and transit areas on Level 2. On the land side, the high, airy hall accommodates the central check-in, security, and baggage handling functions, while a generous plaza on the flight side provides space for retail and catering facilities.

The group photo marks the visit of the bidding syndicate to Berlin Brandenburg Airport in July 2012 when the process was initiated. Participants: Léon Grosse, GCC, Setec bâtiment, Renaud Chassagne, Atelier 4+, gmp (Jürgen Hillmer, Hajo Paap, Kristian Spencker, Nikolai Reich, Johann von Bothmer).

Design Volkwin Marg and Jürgen Hillmer Project management Johann von Bothmer Team Sebastian Flatau, Lena Wegener, Lorena Vacirca, André Wegmann, Andreas Weihnacht, Achim Wangler, Katja Mezger, Bernd Kottsieper, Torsten Hinz, Tanja Hütter, Stefano Pascale

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Office Hamburg / PA NOR A M A sports

sports

Relay Race in the City Park

gmp-Hamburg Wins the “Super Cup”

Almost 8,000 runners carried the baton in this year’s Mopo Relay Race in Hamburg’s City Park on August 14–15. And just like last year, several gmp colleagues undaunted by dark and heavy rain clouds donned their running shoes to compete in the race.

One day before the “Day of Legends,” gmp-Hamburg’s soccer team won the highly remunerative “Field-Soccer-Cup” for the first time. From the very outset, goalie Reiner Schröder and his teammates proved to be contenders for the title and made an impressive showing at the two-day sporting event in which teams from 15 Hamburg architectural firms plus three sponsor teams took to the field. On Friday the situation was already clear: With two victories and two ties, the preliminary round was only a stepping stone for the experienced team that included amazon Katja Mezger. The sturdy flat defense with Christian Dirumdam and Kai Ritzke on Friday, followed by the uncompromising Andrea Fattori and lightning-fast André Wegmann, was the cornerstone of the team’s success. Midfielders Tim Leimbrock and endurance runner Gudmundur Jonsson, along with forwards Achim Wangler, Christoph Berle, and Christian Dahle, often emerged as stars. Reserve player Yiping Tang was impressive proof that soccer is anything but a marginal sport in the Middle Kingdom. In the semi-finals and under excellent weather conditions, the bogey team Wetzel & von Seht stood in the way of the title, but gmp was able to triumph in the nine-meter shoot-out thanks to the indomitable Schröder who was keeping goal. Even the final between Hanse-United and the gmp dream team had to be decided from the penalty spot after the clock ran out, when steely nerved kickers Fattori, Leimbrock, Jonsson, and Wangler distinguished themselves yet again. At the final whistle, the jubilation of the crowd in the Grün-Weiß Eimsbüttel stadium knew no bounds, and the Hamburg-wide celebration of this historic victory continued into the wee hours of the morning.

T h e Ne x t Ge n e r a t i o n

Clemens Lahme, son of Julian and Nadine, was born on July 13th at 10:56 am. He measured 47 centimeters and weighed 2,690 grams. Monika Franz is pleased to announce the birth of her son Matheo in June. On April 11th at 6:05 am, Alisa von Gerkan’s daughter Ava Luisa was born. And on March 24th Sebastian Flatau and his wife Julia welcomed their son Benedikt into the world. Congratulations to all the proud new parents!

N E W COLL E AG U E S

Florian Bortoli-Mora, Natascha Franck, Julia Franzke, Dorle Frobese, Maike Jäger, Xu Xinling, Andreas Jantzen. Other new arrivals at gmp Hamburg – but without photos – are Felix Partzsch and Mikael Sternberg. Welcome!

– concrete gmp – Office Beijing – 08/11.2013

Office Beijing / PROJ EC T S C o m m issi o n

Longyan Filport Hotel Complex, Longyan, China Commission following competition – Longyan City consists of an office tower and hotel tower as well as a large multifunction complex with offices, businesses, leisure and cultural facilities, and banks. The design derives its character from the mountains of the region, the meandering course of the river, and the region’s traditional Tulou houses. Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Stephan Rewolle Project management Su Jun Team Xiao Wenda, Gerardo Garcia, Liu Xiao

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Office Beijing / PA NOR A M A Desi g n s t u d y

E x c u r si o n

Excursion to Feng Huang During the last weekend of July, our Beijing colleagues went on a brief excursion to the beautiful waterside city of Feng Huang in der Hunan Province. Feng Huang is an old city with a 300-year history and known for its unique landscape and traditional wooden houses. It was a day of many impressions and extraordinary experiences.

N E W COLL E AG U E S

LIZE, Beijing, China Design study – The site is positioned at the southwest corner of the Third Ring Road where another business district is to be constructed. The two adjacent plots with a total GFA of 460,000 square meters will accommodate four office towers: one 180 meter tower and three 200 meter towers with podiums containing commercial facilities. The client wants the designs for the bank and insurance company headquarters to reflect the atmosphere of the new business district. Stone façades are intended to communicate classic, enduring values. The façade consists of a two-layered column beam system with emphasis on the top and podium. The three building slices stand close together to create diversity of shape from different angles while maintaining an overall proportional elegance. Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Stephan Rewolle Team Sebastian Linack, Marco Assandri, Han Mo, Thilo Zehme, Zhou Bin

1st row Andreas Brinkmann, Bojan Kocevski, Chen Jing, Gerardo Garcia Alvarez, Han Yue 2nd row Liu Yangjiao, Liu Xiao, Lu Yun, Maarten Harms, Xu Zehua

– concrete gmp – Office Beijing – 08/11.2013

Office Beijing / E X H I BI T ION Exhibition

gmp 建筑师事务所建筑作品展

Designing in Dialogue The Architecture of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners 中国国家博物馆，南 8 展厅 2013 年 8月 8 日— 8月 25日

An exhibition at the National Museum of China, Hall S8, Beijing August 8 — 25, 2013

青岛大剧院 The Grand Theater Qingdao 图片

Photo: Christian Gahl

www.gmp-architekten.de

www.uedmagazine.net

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Exhibition

Designing in Dialogue. The Architecture of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners

Exhibition in Beijing – The international touring exhibition “Designing in Dialogue. The Architecture of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners” was hosted by the Chinese National Museum in Beijing – a building previously converted and extended by gmp. The exhibition was a cooperative effort between gmp, the Chinese architectural journal UED, and Verseidag. The opening ceremony and subsequent symposium were attended by Meinhard von Gerkan, Nikolaus Goetze, Stephan Schütz, and Wu Wei, as well as important figures from the Chinese architectural community and other guests. The exhibit ran from August 8–25. To learn more about the exhibition, visit the gmp Intranet. Team PR and Communication

– concrete gmp – Office Shanghai – 08/11.2013

Office Shanghai / PROJ EC T S Completion

Lingang Harbor, Lingang New City, China Completion – The site is located in the newly opened Lingang-Industrial Area directly bordering on the south coast of Lingang with a link to a separate landing stage for cargo transport. The entire southern portion of the plot, which measures approximately 150,000 square meters, serves as the storage area for technical goods, vehicles, and containers. The goal was to design modern and efficient administration and service buildings for operating the storage areas on the northern strip of the plot, which measures 44 meters deep and 439 meters long. The office building for administration and customs clearance at the northwest corner of the plot was completed during an initial building phase. The building’s base contains customs clearance facilities with publicly accessible areas identified by generous openings in the façade. The administration building is offset from the base by a horizontal band. The façade owes its special character and uniformity to the vertical façade modules made from slender metal slats 70 centimeters deep and spaced 1.4 meters apart affixed to all surfaces. Distinct and systematic joints on all the corner edges and at the top and bottom create an image of technical perfection and order. Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze with Magdalene Weiss Project management Zhou Yunkai Team Nina Svensson, Fang Hua, Jin Zhan, Yan Luji, Song Mo

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Competition

Ongoing projects

Chongming Sport Base, Shanghai, China International competition, third prize – One of four modern training bases for Shanghai’s pro athletes and the Chinese Olympic teams is to be built on Chongming, one of the islands in the Yangtze River Delta north of Shanghai. Chongming is characterized by a flat polder landscape with bird sanctuaries and is dedicated to ecological development. In our design, the open athletic fields and athletes’ village are surrounded by a wall-like area structured to resemble typical settlements in the Yangtze River Delta. The invitation to bid stipulated numerous building volumes of varying sizes, which we grouped into functional and spatially optimized units and embedded in the landscape below the softly undulating wall system. The running and cycling tracks on top of the walls provide broad vistas of the landscape and interior athletic fields all around the ring. Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze with Magdalene Weiss Team Gao Shusan, Zhao Mengtong, Zhu Lingli, Sebastian Schmidt, Christina Patt, Jin Tong, Wang Lin

Hainan Airlines Headquarter, Shanghai, China

Caohejing Three Cubes, Shanghai, China Ongoing project – Projects currently under construction include one of our office parks in the Caohejing Development Zone in western Shanghai. On approximately 60,000 square meters GFA, three cube-like blocks with heights staggered from 35 to 68 meters will primarily provide office space with room for service facilities on the basement floors. As photos of the construction site show, the buildings’ austere shape serves as an exciting contrast to the soft, free-form landscape, and to the sunken courtyards that allow daylight to penetrate public areas on the basement floors. Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze with Magdalene Weiss Project management Sun Yajin Team Chen Jingchen, Zhang Yang, Saeed Granfar, Zhang Yan, Lin Yi, Cai Lei

Ongoing project – The office and commercial building of the logistics and real estate group Hainan Airlines offers spectacular views of the Bund, the Huangpu River, and the three tallest towers in the Pudong financial district. At the express wish of the client, the steel construction of the 90 meter tower and podium was not clad in the interior but remains entirely exposed. Electrical and sprinkler system lines are consistently coordinated with the steel structure and run through openings in the supports – not an easy task in China – while ventilation and AC ducts have been laid beneath the raised floors. The steel construction must meet strict fire safety requirements. Another challenge is to monitor construction and the surface treatment of all visible areas. Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze with Magdalene Weiss Project management Fanny Hoffmann-Loss Team Nard Buijs, Bastian Bartz, Mareike Asmus, Jiang Yi, Fu Chen, Zhang Zhen, Jin Zhan, Zhou Yunkai, Cai Lei

– concrete gmp – Office Shanghai – 08/11.2013

Office Shanghai / PA NOR A M A sports

Beach Volleyball

Soccer Game

Our loyal customer SOSC is always inviting us to sporting events. One of our project contacts is currently an administrator in the Jinshan District south of Shanghai, which has a leisure park with an artificial beach and beach volleyball courts. All the gmp-ites and the client’s own employees thoroughly enjoyed a convivial friendship game and the general beach atmosphere.

In May our partner firm SIADR with whom we’re collaborating on the Suzhou Stadium challenged us to a soccer game. With careful convincing, our gmp team was hand-picked from a pool of around 50 employees, while SIADR was left to make some tough choices from among its approximately 1,000 employees. Snappy kicking followed by cheerful barbecuing!

n ew c o l l e a g ues

1st row Alexa Schmidbauer, Bi Maoyang, Chen Wei, Chen Yao, Fang Min, Florian Wiedey, Kong Lingmei, Li Chen 2nd row Lu Qianhua, Mirko Kirstein, Oliver Loesser, Sun Wen, Yu Xiaoliang, Zhang Tianjiao, Zhao Yifeng, Zhu Liwen

offspring

On March 26, 2013 Liu Shangyi, son of Liu Yites, was born. Congratulations to the proud parents!

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Office Aachen / PROJ EC T S completion

New Hans Sachs House, Gelsenkirchen Completion – The conversion of this building designed by the Essen architect Alfred Fischer which was inaugurated at the end of August symbolizes the spirit of social change that prevailed during the Weimar Republic. Having retained its external appearance, the modern brick building is a reminder of a cultural epoch whose social and democratic vision created an artistic and architectural legacy. In deference to the past, the original idea of a public citizens’ venue with a central meeting hall as a citizens’ forum was reinterpreted in the building’s interior. With the demolition of the extension building dating from the 1950s and its reconstruction at Dreikronenstrasse, a “citizens’ square” – the Alfred-Fischer-Platz – was created within the grounds of the Hans Sachs House town hall. This freed up the hotel tower and restored its position as an urban landmark. The Alfred-Fischer-Platz extends into the ground floor of the new Hans Sachs House as a citizen’s forum.

Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff with Rüdiger von Helmolt and Carsten Borucki Associate partner Christian Hoffmann Project management Jutta Hartmann-Pohl Implementation team Gesche Arns-Büsker, Stefan Greuel, Michael Haase, Vera Hendrix, Rouja König, Evelyn Martens, Angela Modemann, Franz Lensing, Simone Schröder-Ripp, Tom Siehoff, Philipp Weber Planning group with Winter Ing.

– concrete gmp – Office Aachen – 08/11.2013

Office Aachen / PA NOR A M A Topping out ceremony

Headquarters for Trianel GmbH, Aachen Topping out ceremony – After winning the competition and being commissioned as general planner, we completed a four-week workshop phase in April 2012 during which we collaborated with Trianel management to further develop the design and define the qualities of the architecture and technical equipment. The result was a project and quality description that served as our design guidelines for the overall planning process and was used by the client as a basis for obtaining initial bids from potential general contractors. After a planning period of only six months, we completed the design plans, the planning approval procedure, and the general detail plans. On October 31, 2012 the construction phase was inaugurated with an initial ground breaking ceremony. Depenbrock was awarded the contract as general contractor and also developed the final plans using our general details and the project and quality description. On July 4, 2013 we laid the cornerstone, and on September 3, 2013 we celebrated completion of the building shell with a topping out ceremony. Completion of the building is scheduled for the end of this year.

Design Volkwin Marg Associate partner Christian Hoffmann Project management, competition Marek Nowak Competition team Olaf Peters, Christoph Salentin, Clemens Dost, Jörg Greuel, Tobias Unterberg Project management, implementation Tobias Unterberg Implementation team Clemens Dost, Christoph Salentin, Olaf Peters, Sarah Coenes, Irina Stoyanova T h e Ne x t Ge n e r a t i o n

Heiko Faber and his wife Corinna are happy to announce the birth of their son Jonas. The “punctual tot” arrived on March 2, 2013 weighing 3,220 grams and measuring 50 centimeters long. And another new arrival to Aachen: Alexander Hepp, the son of Roman and wife. Alexander was born on August 31, 2013 at the Marienhospital, weighed 3,850 grams and was 53 centimeters long.

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Office Frankfurt / PROJ EC T S Topping out ceremony

Martin Luther School, Rimbach Topping out ceremony – The topping out ceremony took place on July 2, 2013 in Rimbach. The school is currently in the middle of construction and work phase five has largely been completed for the main construction measure. Next, the smaller conversion work on existing buildings will be planned and opened for bids. The first partial commissioning of the new building will take place in the Spring of 2014 when the school administration moves into the smaller section. This will in turn free up rooms in the existing buildings for refurbishment and repurposing in accordance with the school’s rooms schedule in time for final commissioning during the 2014 summer vacation. As a gymnasium-type secondary school with six main subject areas and an emphasis on music, the Martin Luther School in Rimbach is one of the most important educational institutions in the Odenwald region. The object of the competition was the expansion as well as the functional and spatial re-design of the existing school. Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff with Veit Lieneweg and Kristian Spencker Design competition team Tobias Mäscher, Iza Kaizer, Adel Motamedi, Sarah Gerg Project management, implementation Christian Klimaschka, Bernd Gossmann Design planning team Elisabeth Heiner, Nicole Jahn, Antje Pfeiffer Implementation team Carla Silva Ferreira, Elisabeth Heiner, Nicole Jahn Construction supervision Dirk Backhaus, Tuba Fil

– concrete gmp – Office Rio – 08/11.2013

Office Rio / PROJ EC T S S t a t us q u o

Projects for the 2014 World Cup, Brazil Status quo – Two of the three stadiums that gmp is implementing for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have been completed. The National Stadium in Brasília was ready for the opening game of the Confederations Cup on June 15, 2013. It was built on the site of the former Mané Garrincha stadium, with gmp and sbp developing the appearance of the surrounding esplanade as a characteristic “forest of supports” and a double-shell suspended roof, while architect Eduardo Castro Mello was responsible for designing the 72,000-seat bowl. The Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte was completed in December

2012 and opened in February 2013 with a game by the local Cruzeiro football club. Together with Gustavo Penna Arquiteto e Associados from Belo Horizonte and sbp, gmp developed the modernization and refurbishment scheme aimed at the 2014 World Cup. The Arena da Amazônia in Manaus is expected to be completed by the end of the year. With a 40,600-seat capacity, this very simple yet highly efficient stadium symbolizes the fascination and natural diversity of the tropical rainforest. The roof structure of mutually supporting cantilevers is currently being mounted.

Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, Brazil Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff with Martin Glass, 2008 Project management Martin Glass, Lena Brögger, Maike Carlsen Director of gmp do Brasil Ralf Amann Project management, Brazil Robert Hormes Design team Claudio Aceituno Husch, Jochen Köhn, Martin Krebes, Helge Lezius, Veit Lieneweg, Martina Brusius, Adel Motamedi, Lisa Pfisterer, Florian Schwarthoff Implementation team Sophie-Charlotte Altrock, Maike Carlsen, Silke Flaßnöcker, Ruth Gould, Juliana Kleba-Rizental, Helge Lezius, Lucia Martinez Rodriguez, Tobias Mäscher, Dirk Peissl, Katerine Witte, Ivanka Perkovic, Camila Preve Brazil team Martina Brusius

New C o l l e a g ue

Welcome, Renato Silveira Goncalves, to gmp Brazil!

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S t a t us q u o

Estádio Nacional Brasília (National Stadium), Brasília, Brazil Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff, 2008 Project management Martin Glass Director of gmp do Brasil Ralf Amann Design team Carsten Borucki, Ante Bagaric, Helge Lezius, Florian Schwarthoff, Martin Krebes Esplanade team Stefanie Eichelmann, Carsten Borucki, Tobias Mäscher, Lucia Martinez, Ruth Gould, Rebecca Bornhauser, Adel Motamedi, Kacarzyna Ciruk, Laura Cruz Lima da Silva, Sara Taberner Roof team Lena Brögger, Sara Taberner, Jutta Rentsch, Florian Illenberger, Tobias Mäscher, Fariborz Rahimi Brazil team Burkhard Pick, Holger Betz, Robert Hormes, Martina Brusius, Maryna Samolyuk

Arena da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil Direct commission following 2009 study – Design Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff with Martin Glass, 2008 Project management Martin Glass, Maike Carlsen Director of gmp do Brasil Ralf Amann Project management, Brazil Burkhard Pick, Sander-Christiaan Troost Design team Konstanze Erbe, Claudio Aceituno Husch, Martin Krebes, Helge Lezius, Ausias Lobatón Ortega, Dirk Peissl, Nikolai Reich, Stefan Saß, Florian Schwarthoff, Sonia Taborda Planning team Sophie-Charlotte Altrock, Lieselotte Decker, Barbara Düring, Stephanie Eichelmann, Konstanze Erbe, Silke Flaßnöcker, Elke Glass, Fabian Kirchner, Juliana Kleba-Rizental, Helge Lezius, Veit Lieneweg, Lucia Martinez Rodriguez, Adel Motamedi, Sara Taberner, Katerine Witte Implementation team Sophie-Charlotte Altrock, Felipe Bellani, Lena Brögger, Claudia Chiappini, Priscila Lima da Silva Giersdorf, Ruth Gould, Jacqueline Gregorius, Juliana Kleba-Rizental, Helge Lezius, Lucia Martinez Rodriguez, Dirk Müller, Dirk Peissl, Ivanka Percovic, Camila Preve, Katerine Witte, Fariborz Rahimi Brazil team Florian Schwarthoff, Katerine Witte, Sander-Christiaan Troost, Rodrigo Mathias Duro Teixeira, Anguelica Larocca Troost, Guilherme Maia, Gui Cabral

– concrete gmp – “Hotspots” Authors – 08/11.2013

“Hotspots” Authors / WHAT’S WORTH SEEING A ND READING IN ART, GR APHICS, A ND DESIGN michael kuhn

C o r n e l i a T h ei l i n g

Froh! This magazine describes itself – and I agree – as follows: Froh! is “the lovingly designed, high-quality, carefully composed, highly refined, courageous, unusual, unique, profound, and oh-so-playful society magazine, full of passion and without pretensions. And printed on real paper.” And that’s exactly what we want – a very special magazine for committed authors, photographers, and designers and a good example for concretegmp. Subscribe and read! frohmagazin.de frohmagazin.de

Helvetica Film The first in Gary Hustwit’s Design Film Trilogy, “Helvetica” shows the influence of this font on our everyday lives as well as its proliferation in the urban spaces of major cities. In “Helvetica” renowned designers enthusiastically discuss their work, the creative process, and the aesthetic criteria behind their choice of a specific typography.

helveticafilm.com

t o m wi b b e r e n z

The End of Print A classic in design history that had a first run of 125,000–200,000 copies (sources differ). Carson proclaimed the end of the printed and written word. The autodidact (designer of “Beach Culture” and “Ray Gun,” among others) was referring not only to the unstoppable trend toward digital media, but also to the trivialization and interchangeability of content which, through a sculptural, typographical design, practically mutates into art. This subjectivistic graphic design approach made “The End of Print” the manifesto of a new generation of designers, but also caused a great deal of criticism toward Carson. Some of his detractors alleged that rather than reinforcing his content, his compositions and textures substituted one evil for another; others found it ironic that “the supposed end of print culture was announced in a printed work.”

Carson, David: The End of Print. German edition: Bankert Verlag 1995

HAY, Clara von Zweigbergk and Rasmus Norlander More on the hexagon, the pattern rediscovered for the corporate design of the Berlin-Tegel Airport, can be found at HAY. “Kaleido” designed by Clara von Zweigbergk for HAY and photographed by the architectural photographer Rasmus Norlander. Uncomplicated, joyful design from Denmark. hay.dk claravonzweigbergk.com rasmusnorlander.se

concrete gmp – “Hotspots” Authors – 08/11.2013 – 63

michael kuhn

The Art of Jim Denevan American artist Jim Denevan fascinates us with his large-scale land art. His temporary, precise drawings on sand and ice are impressive – landscape made sculpture. jimdenevan.com t o m wi b b e r e n z

Wolken.Heim. PERRET SCHAAD A young, Berlin-based fashion label established in 2009. Fashion with a romantic urbanity – clear lines – strictly sculptural with references to geometric shapes. perretschaad.com C o r n e l i a T h ei l i n g

Carsten Nicolai Nicolai’s audiovisual installations deal with the visualization or scoring of seemingly imperceptible areas in art, music, and science. Although his works often come across as experimental test setups, the focus is on their aesthetic expressiveness. Hamburger Kunsthalle carstennicolai.com

Typographer Klaus Detjen is the designer (and, as of Vol. 9, also the publisher) of a book series called “Die Typographische Bibliothek.” All the books in the series have one thing in common: They were typographically staged, meaning that the texts were reinterpreted by means of typographic design. “Die Typographische Bibliothek” comprises ten volumes and has been published by Wallenstein Verlag since 2011 (formerly published by Steidl). Volume One, “Wolken.Heim.” is an expressive work that insistently draws attention to the power of Jelinek’s words while challenging readers in terms of both content and form. A fantastic starting place that is unfortunately out of print. Jelinek, Elfriede: Wolken.Heim. Steidl 1993

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