TXL vs. BER. Too Good. Two. Be True. Past and Future of Airport Architecture. 7 June 2014, Participants

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "TXL vs. BER. Too Good. Two. Be True. Past and Future of Airport Architecture. 7 June 2014, Participants"

Maryann Greene
7 years ago
Views:

1 Too Good. Be True. Blueprint for the future: the airports Berlin-Tegel and Berlin Brandenburg by von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects An Exhibition at Participants Meinhard von Gerkan Founding Partner of gmp von Gerkan, Marg and Partners, Architect of the Airport Projects Berlin-Tegel (TXL) and Berlin Brandenburg (BER) Hartmut Mehdorn CEO of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH Robert Grosch Former Director of the Airport Berlin-Tegel Philipp Bouteiller Managing Director of the Tegel Projekt GmbH Andreas Ruby Presentation Panel session in German only Veranstaltung in deutscher Sprache TXL vs. BER Past and Future of Airport Architecture Panel session on the occasion of the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale 7 June 2014, Palazzo Michiel, Campo Santi Apostoli,

2 TXL vs. BER Past and Future of Airport Architecture 7 June hours Palazzo Michiel Campo Santi Apostoli The fact that the same architects practice has not only designed the old Berlin airport but also, 50 years later, the city s new airport is pretty incredible in itself. But the circumstances under which von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp) designed and built Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL) appear truly incredible from today s perspective. This refers not only to the liberties enjoyed by young architects in those days, but also to the sense of cooperation with which all those with responsibility for the project worked at the time. Tegel Airport became an example worldwide and, in its functionality, was so forward-looking that in 2012 the Berlin Tagesspiegel still referred to it as the iphone amongst airports. Participants Meinhard von Gerkan Founding partner of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp), architect for the Berlin Tegel (TXL) and Berlin Brandenburg (BER) airports Hartmut Mehdorn Chairman of the Board of Directors of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH Robert Grosch Former Director of Tegel Airport Philipp Bouteiller Managing Director of Tegel Projekt GmbH Presentation: Andreas Ruby In the spring of 2012 the architectural concept of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) was also unanimously praised. The Sűddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) saw a worthy successor in it and spoke of a functionally perfect example of this newer type of terminal common all over the world today. A few weeks later, nobody was talking about it. Again, something incredible happened. Construction problems and delays dominate the headlines to this day. BER has still not been opened. Airport construction nowadays faces different conditions compared to 50 years ago; excessive commercialisation and safety requirements have changed the airport as such which formerly was purely a place of transition. A shift in paradigm has taken place, which affects the architecture. To what extent is it really possible to say that the ultra-complex airports of today are comparable with projects such as Tegel Airport? What happens to the concept and design of an airport under these changed conditions? Why do architecture and its management diverge so widely today, sometimes to the point of contradiction? How is it possible to manage such complex construction projects at all? What interests are involved today in such a project, and what were these interests in former times? It seems that it is not possible to approach the future of airport construction responsibly without knowing its past. Meinhard von Gerkan, Hartmut Mehdorn, Robert Grosch and Philipp Bouteiller provide reminiscences, assessments and pleas.

3 Too Good. Blueprint for the future: the airports Berlin-Tegel and Berlin Brandenburg by von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects June 7 November , Italy 70 m from Rialto Bridge, on Canal Grande Opening times Wednesday to Monday from to Tuesday closed free entrance Be Too good. Blaupausen für die Zukunft True.

4 Too good. Blaupausen für die Zukunft: Die Flughäfen Berlin-Tegel und Berlin Brandenburg der Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner : the period of world history which the 2014 Architecture Biennale revolves around is the century in which the modern world has come about, a technological and globalised world. A central element in this development: the dream of flying has become a reality, for everybody. In 1914 there were no airports, only grass strips for starting and landing, and hangars. Today, one hundred years later, there are complex mega-structures such as the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER), built for millions of visitors. However, 50 years earlier, pretty much exactly in between 14 and 14, an architectural project in Berlin had already come into being which looked at the future then and may still do so today. It is worthwhile travelling back to the year 1965 and telling the tale of the concept and creation of Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL). The tale s moral: remember the positive! future-oriented origins of globalised architecture in order to find the right responses to its often negative! repercussions. In 1914 there were aeroplanes but hardly any infrastructure for them. In 1965, under fortunate conditions, an all but ideal infrastructure was created as a pioneer of globalised architecture. 1914, this ideal was a remote future at best; today it is very remote again. Too good. A presentation on the occasion of the 14 th International Architecture Exhibition June 7 November Opening times Wednesday to Monday from to Tuesday closed free entrance Yet as a result of the interaction with the past and with TXL, gmp s first future-oriented airport in Berlin, a new future-oriented piece of architecture is created: BER, gmp s second airport in Berlin. Both airports create or preserve their being future-oriented by staying true to plausible design principles in as consistent a manner as they stay true to the users of their very structure: human beings.

5 gmp von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects Public Relations and Communication Elbchaussee Hamburg Germany T: F: communication@gmp-architekten.de Venues Palazzo Michiel Campo Santi Apostoli Head of Communications Michael Kuhn T: R AILWAY STATION PALAZZO MORA PALAZZO MICHIEL RIALTO PALAZZO BEMBO PALAZZO ROSSINI SAN MARCO ARSENALE GUGGENHEIM GIARDINI

Your advertising at Tegel Airport 360 - panorama space in the inner ring, Terminal A/B

Your advertising at Tegel Airport 360 - panorama space in the inner ring, Terminal A/B Meet Capital People Berlin is Capital. Berlin is a metropolis. Berlin is just simply in. People are flying to Berlin.