deconarch

(I’m citing from Berliner Morgenpost, art Magazin and Baunetz.com for photos)

The dice is cast.

On 28.11.2008 the winner of the competition for the reconstruction of the Berin Stadtschloss has been published: Francesco “Franco” Stella, Italian architect from Vicenza, sees himself as “classical-modern rationalist” following Aldo Rossi. And actually he’s more or less unknown.

Surprisingly the jury chose him in unison. What about the critics about the retro-postulations of the competition few weeks ago (read more here)?

Stella – whose private name is Francesco, but as architect he calls himself Franco – is known as a specialist for building with historical ensembles. so far, he’s only been known among experts. His biggest project is the fair hall in Padova. Since 1990, Stella is professor at the architectural faculty of Genua, and participated  on the Venice Biennial several times.

There’s no English entry to Wikipedia yet (!!), not even an Italian one, only the German Wikipedia has been supplemented with a short entry (which dates from 29./30.Nov.2008).

Yet, he’s not unknown in Berlin – as he took part in the competitions of the Kanzleramt (Chancellery) and the Auswärtiges Amt (State Department). And he was member of the jury of the architectural competition for the area around the Spree Island (on the Spree Island, the so-called Museums Islands, there’s also the Stadtschloss area) …

His entry has been chosen because of his “sensitive treatment of the Eastern facade” – while the Northern, Western, and Southern facades had to be designed in retro-baroque style (replicas of the original palace), as well as the Schlüter Courtyard, the Eastern facade and the interiors were free to design.

We’ll have to wait for the reactions on this decision as well as on, well, let’s face it, the financial situation to clear off. Officially, the construction works are to start in 2010, the budget projected on 552 Mio. Euro (enough?!). And besides – it’s still not really decided what’s to happen with the palace once it ‘ll actually stand: it is thought to house a Humboldtforum. But what’s that?

A lot of questions still wide open.

A little too much retro-ado about nothing?

…………………………..

All competing projects can be seen at Deutsches Kronprinzenpalais,

3. – 21. December

daily, 12.00 – 20.00 h

(I’m citing an article on Spiegel Online, photo ib.)

I wrote about the Berlin Mitte situation a little while ago (read more here). It has been 6 years now since the German parliament decided to have the Berlin Stadtschloss (City Palace) reconstructed. Since then, hot and ambitious discussions have been had about the project’s “face” – and apparently, still no end in sight:

On November 28th the jury will decide about the winning project which is to have at least 3 out of 4 facades reconstructed true to the original baroque building. Now most of the architect jurors, among them Vittorio Lampugnani, question this guideline. Why so suddenly?

We’ll have to wait for the final decision in less than 2 weeks.

No lucky star…

Nevertheless, the planned reconstruction of the palace doesn’t really seem to be under a lucky star – for about 18 years now it is highly debated, donations only drop in (according to Spiegel Online, a society wanted to collect 80 Mio.€ – whereof only 17 Mio.€ have been collected so far).

Historical Background

(Summary cited from wikipedia:) In 1945, the Stadtschloss was twice struck by Allied bombs, the building was struck by incendiaries, lost its roof and was largely burnt out.

The end of the war saw the Stadtschloss reduced to a blackened shell, although the building was structurally sound and with a huge cash influx could have been restored, as many other bombed-out buildings in central Berlin were after unification. But the area in which it was located was with the Soviet Union’s zone of occupation, and later in the German Democratic Republic. The new regime saw the Stadtschloss as a symbol of Prussian militarism, although some parts of the building were repaired and used from 1945 to 1950 as an exhibition space. Between September and December 1950, therefore, the building was demolished, with only the balcony from which Liebknecht had declared the German Socialist Republic being preserved.