Interaction between practice, research, and teaching | Frank Barkow
On 5 November, the audience of architecture enthusiasts at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville were invited to enjoy two fascinating events: firstly, the premiere in this year's series of “Les causeries” (November Talks), and secondly, the opening of the “Details – Architecture seen in section” exhibition.
Our first guest speaker was Frank Barkow of the renowned Berlin architecture firm Barkow-Leibinger, who gave the audience an informative insight into the office's projects, viewpoints, and methods.
In the second part of the evening, Orsina Simona Pierini of the DAStU (department of architecture and urban studies) at the Politecnico di Milano opened the exhibition “Details – Architecture seen in section”. This is dedicated to architectural detail that reveals a double meaning: its structural and its formal-expressive side. The exhibition also presents designs from Barkow-Leibinger.
The evening was led by Françoise Fromonot, a professor at the Paris-Belleville architecture school and a well-known architecture critic.
Developing locations – construction on an impressive and functional scale
Frank Barkow and Regine Leibinger founded their American-German firm in Berlin in 1993. Since then, they have brought to life numerous projects both in Germany and abroad. Their portfolio comprises public works, office buildings, and interior design for residential and commercial projects.
In addition to establishing long-term master plans for location development, the heart of the firm's work for medium-sized and large companies lies particularly in the planning and realisation of impressive and functional constructions in the areas of production, logistics, and administration, as exemplified by the campus restaurant for high-tech company Trumpf in Ditzingen, Germany.
Recently completed projects include the “Tour Total”, the German headquarters for the French oil company next to Berlin's Central Station, and “Stadthaus M1”, a hotel and residential building in Freiburg's Vauban district.
The identity of the firm is characterised by the interaction between practice, research, and teaching. In recent times, all three areas have placed a spotlight on the question of how digital production technologies and components customised yet mass-produced by machines can be applied so that they don't simply complement architecture as a surface or accessory, but also contribute to the emergence of design-engineered, spatial structures.
