Unbuilding Walls - by Graft Architekten & Marianne Birthler (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In 2018, Germany will have been unified for 28 years, which is exactly as long as the inner German border existed (1961-1989). In the German Pavilion at the 2018 Architecture Biennale in Venice, GRAFT Architects Lars Krückeberg, Wolfram Putz and Thomas Willemeit, together with German politician Marianne Birthler investigate the effects of the separation and the process of healing as dynamic, spatial phenomena.

The accompanying publication focuses on outstanding urban design and architectural examples of the former inner German border that engage with the issues of separation and fusion. One focus is on the former Berlin Wall. Numerous essays by architects, urban designers, and political scientists examine the urban manifestations of this development, which can also be seen elsewhere.

Review Quotes

""Vom Todesstreifen zum freien Raum" und zurück zur Teilung ohne Heilung ist eine not/wendige, beeindruckende und abgrundtief angelegte Dokumentation - bereit zur langzeitlich angelegten Trauma-Arbeit. Es umfasst viele Kapitel deutscher Geschichte und eine weltweite gesellschaftspolitische Verwicklung mit fortdauerender un/menschlicher Verschuldung. Sind wir wirklich auch so? Ja"
kultur-punkt.ch Juni 2018 http: //dev.kultur-punkt.ch/architektur-lebensraum-a_z/stadt-landraum-empathie-kultur/stadtraum-freiraum-grundbedarf/freiraum-berlin-todesstreifen-anderswo.html

About the Author

GRAFT Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH, Berlin, Los Angeles, Beijing; Marianne Birthler, Federal official for Stasi Archives