Germany

March–April

Domus Germany, March–April 2017
It is practically close enough to touch – and yet out of reach: Berlin’s new airport. In this issue of German Domus we wish to introduce to you the airport, which has been finished architecturally since 2012. An airport that has set a precedent, whose disastrous development has made history. It is a difficult subject to deal with.

How is it possible to put aside prejudices in order to look at the airport from a purely architectural point of view? But we did not even get that far. Although we made several requests to inspect the public building in its current state of, we were not allowed to enter. Nevertheless, or fortunately, our author has visited it, and in this issue he not only presents it, but also describes the paradigm shift that has taken place in the passage of time from Berlin’s Tegel Airport to the new airport. As a result of the long delay in opening the big new airport, the small but excellent one close to the city has gained more and more sympathy. You can read why this is so, and what makes Tegel so special, immediately after the article about BER.

All of the other traffic projects presented in this issue have been inaugurated and are in use. They act as urban hubs where many people move from one place to another every day. A prime example is the conversion of the Forum des Halles in Paris, La Canopée. In a generous, welcoming gesture it encompasses public spaces and cultural institutions. A magnificent canopy spreads its roof over millions of people who ascend from the Metro into the centre of Paris.

In Amsterdam, Wiel Arets Architects have extended the existing train station. Their solution, an exemplary way of distributing the streams of passengers and passers-by, opens up to the city and the water. The movements of both are brought into the building by glass and mirror elements. Screens as tall as the interior space also transform closed-off walls into moving images.

We also celebrate the love affair between architecture and cinema. We begin with a photo essay about film sets, a look behind the scenes that puts them in their true context, followed by a portrait of an architect who was a passionate film-maker, but usually left out his own buildings. We present new production designers in the mould of Ken Adam, who have a flair for combining physically built film sets with virtually created worlds, and we show design icons that have made cinematic history as movie stars.

Our editorial brand director Paolo Tumminelli attended the Cologne Furniture Trade Fair and returned with a significant insight: how much livelier furniture is when it swings, tilts or wobbles. The interaction between the user and the furniture, in his view, is like a dance between a human and an object, and can undoubtedly be seen as a sign of attention, affection – and even of love.

Domus Germany, March–April 2017, cover
Domus Germany, March–April 2017, cover

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