Skilful architecture without gloss and bling bling

In this book, Albert Kirchengast looks at three projects that may serve as models of further construction: Max Dudler, Franz Riepl, and Jonathan Sergison demonstrate an analogous approach to further construction at the scale levels of village, town and city. With their elementary “constructedness”, clean proportions and elegant interplay of volumes in the urban space, these projects embody a permanence without affectation and fashionable elements and provide a meaningful and unassuming background to everyday life. In doing so, they not only answer the pressing question of the ecology of coexistence, but also provide a benchmark within our heterogeneous design culture.

Photos by Hélène Binet, David Schreyer and Stefan Müller as well as historical illustrations accompany the plea for a masterful ‘middle way’ in architecture.

• Architecture of permanence, without affectation and modish elements
• Three projects by Max Dudler, Franz Riepl, and Jonathan Sergison
• Photo spreads by Hélène Binet, David Schreyer, and Stefan Müller

Albert Kirchengast, architectural theorist, author and lecturer at ETH Zurich

Skilful architecture without gloss and bling bling

In this book, Albert Kirchengast looks at three projects that may serve as models of further construction: Max Dudler, Franz Riepl, and Jonathan Sergison demonstrate an analogous approach to further construction at the scale levels of village, town and city. With their elementary “constructedness”, clean proportions and elegant interplay of volumes in the urban space, these projects embody a permanence without affectation and fashionable elements and provide a meaningful and unassuming background to everyday life. In doing so, they not only answer the pressing question of the ecology of coexistence, but also provide a benchmark within our heterogeneous design culture.

Photos by Hélène Binet, David Schreyer and Stefan Müller as well as historical illustrations accompany the plea for a masterful ‘middle way’ in architecture.

• Architecture of permanence, without affectation and modish elements
• Three projects by Max Dudler, Franz Riepl, and Jonathan Sergison
• Photo spreads by Hélène Binet, David Schreyer, and Stefan Müller

Albert Kirchengast, architectural theorist, author and lecturer at ETH Zurich

Kirchengast betrachtet in seinem Buch drei Projekte mit modellhaftem Charakter: Max Dudler, Franz Riepl und Jonathan Sergison demonstrieren auf den Maßstabsebenen Dorf, Siedlung und Stadt ein analoges Weiterbauen. Mit ihrer elementaren „Gebautheit", guten Proportionen und dem eleganten Zusammenspiel der Volumina im städtischen Raum verkörpern sie eine Dauerhaftigkeit ohne Allüren und modische Zutaten, die zum sinnfälligen wie selbstverständlichen Hintergrund des alltäglichen Lebens wird. Sie geben dabei nicht nur auf die drängende Frage der Ökologie unseres Zusammenlebens Antwort, sondern liefern einen Ankerpunkt in unserer heterogenen Gestaltungskultur.

Fotos von Hélène Binet, David Schreyer und Stefan Müller sowie historische Illustrationen begleiten das Plädoyer für die gekonnte Architektur der Mitte.