New architecture guide showcases the millennium’s first decade in Frankfurt and honors Goethe University’s Westend Campus in singular fashion.
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The first decade of a new millennium that is gradually making its own history: the sixth volume in the series “Architekturführer Frankfurt” [Guide to the Architecture of Frankfurt], published by Junius Verlag, presents buildings and other creations by architects from Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, London, Paris and elsewhere. In addition to various buildings, including the Main Plaza Tower, Trade Fair Hall 3, the Portikus exhibition hall, Palazzo Cubico and Haus am Dom, the guide’s concise texts also introduce and describe public and private artworks. One guiding question is: Does the decade have a defining feature? Wilhelm Opatz, interior designer, architecture buff and co-editor of the volume, summarizes the decade in a nutshell: “Ecological building methods are becoming established – and gaining importance. In addition, instead of being demolished and replaced with new structures, existing buildings are being converted/extended or given extra floors.”
How does the expert evaluate the architecture on Westend Campus – are the new buildings and locations a positive addition from an urban planning perspective? “A very positive one. During our visit of the site and its buildings and while taking photos, I noticed several citizens/Westend residents – clearly not students – who were using the campus in a perfectly ‘normal’ way; enjoying the hustle and bustle, drinking coffee, going for a stroll, or just taking a short cut.” The text about Westend Campus was written by Frankfurt art historian Adrian Seib. Several Goethe University buildings featured in the new book – the IG Farben Building and its canteen, the Auditorium Complex, the buildings housing Law, Economics & Business Administration (RuW), the Social Sciences (PEG), Normative Orders, the House of Finance and the Haus der Stille – are shown in the volume, although the photos depict only small sections of the facade. Why did the editors choose to do this, especially given that the buildings are very much worth seeing in their entirety? “Of course the architecture is of high quality, there’s no doubt about that. That being said, architectural contests held at the time included specific rules on the appearance of the buildings, and the participating architects had to create the facades in stone. We took that to the extreme – which is why our photos introduce the buildings using their stone facades. Photographer Georg Dörr held his camera at the same distance from each subject and at the same height on his tripod for all these photos. The result is this interesting series of pictures across seven double-page spreads, which ends in wood, with the Haus der Stille – a wonderful way to conclude our exploration of the campus architecture,” says Wilhelm Opatz. Who knows which new building on Westend Campus will be featured in the next volume in the series?