This is one of the most elegant buildings I have visited. It is truly magnificent in its simplicity, attention to detail, materiality and lighting – everything you hope for in a Zumthor design. I was also incredibly impressed with the artwork of British sculptor, Antony Gormley who filled all three galleries with incredible sculptures that really transformed the spaces. It was just a fantastic experience and I will let the photographs do the rest of the talking.
The Kolumba museum in Cologne, Germany was high on my list of places to visit and it turned out to be a spectacular experience. Although not all of the images are fantastic do to some low lighting conditions and no tripod, you should get an overall sense of the elegant design by Peter Zumthor
Check out the Kolumba website for more information: www.Kolumba.de
This past summer I visited an exhibition of Antony Gormley’s work at the Kunsthaus Bregenz in Austria – a beautiful building designed by Peter Zumthor. Along with the elegance of the gallery itself, Gormley’s work was absolutely incredible. His three diverse sculptures captivated visitors and engaged the entire space of each gallery, forcing viewers to interact with the sculpture and ponder the ways the human body interacts with surrounding space. The works completely dominated each gallery room guiding people to move into and become part of the sculpture themselves.
From the Tate website: Antony Gormley takes us on a tour of his studio. Designed in collaboration with the architect David Chipperfield, this converted warehouse just north of King Cross manages to accommodate hanger-like rooms, where teams of assistants work on large-scale sculptures, with more intimate, personal spaces.
Antony Gormley’s homepage: www.antonygormley.com
If this talk intrigued you check out these books showcasing Antony Gormley’s amazing artwork: Antony Gormley,
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You may have noticed that Talkitect.com has been pretty quiet over the past few weeks (not including the spike of video posts recently). This is because I was gallivanting around southern Germany and Switzerland visiting amazing works of architecture, exploring stunning landscapes and checking out some fantastic cities. Part of the goal of my travels was to gather more places and topics to write about. Over the next couple of weeks I will be posting four or five new articles, some new videos and even an Interview or two with some inspiring people running architecture themed galleries here in Berlin. There are also a couple of interesting architecture and art events coming up that I plan on covering as well as a short trip to London that might offer some more topics of conversation. All this goes hand in hand with a job search, as I look for a design position at an architecture firm in Berlin.
Upcoming Articles:
- Peter Zumthor’s Thermal Baths in Vals, Switzerland
- Peter Zumthor’s Kunsthaus in Bregenz Austria
- Peter Zumthor’s Kolumba art museum in Cologne, Germany
- The Vitra Design Museum and Campus (including buildings by Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Nicholas Grimshaw, Álvaro Siza, and Herzog & de Meuron as well as an exhibit on the Campana Brothers)
- The Glenn Murcutt International Masters Class
- Herzog & de Meuron and the architecture of Basel
Check out the most recent slide shows Here:
Architecture Photography
An older post worth reading:
The Sustainability of an Architectural Practice
Don’t forget to check the list of articles and slide shows in the left hand column or the blog’s archive for past posts you may have missed. Also, get involved in the conversation by leaving comments on articles or videos you find interesting (or mundane for that matter – critical comments are welcome too) and by clicking the “follow” or “subscribe” buttons at the top of the left hand column. You can also follow me on twitter by going here: lugray on twitter.Your contributions are greatly appreciated and what makes running a blog like this worthwhile. Thanks for reading and check back soon for new content.
I’m sure by now most readers have already heard the announcement and have read articles on other sites about Peter Zumthor, the Swiss architect, being awarded the prestigious Pritzer Prize – the annual award give to a prominent living architect. I just want to add my congratulations to the chorus. Zumthor’s work has consistently inspired me in my own work. His attention to detail and focus on materiality as a driving force in the design process has led to some of the most moving works of architecture over the past few decades. His slow design approach has kept his body of work relatively small but each project has been a stunning work of art. I have yet to visit a project of his in person but am excited to make a pilgrimage this summer to do just that.
Notable Buildings:
Museum Kolumba – Cologn, Germany (2007)
The Brother Klaus Field Chapel – Mechernich, Germany (2007)
Swiss Pavilion – Expo Hanover, Germany (2002)
The Kunsthaus Bregenz – Austria (1997)
Thermal Baths – Vals, Switzerland (1996)
St. Benedict’s Chapel – Sumvitg, Switzerland(1989)
