Architecture

Frauenkirche Expert on Devastating Fire 'Notre Dame Reconstruction Will Take Years'

The damage to Notre Dame cathedral is massive: The roof was destroyed, a spire collapsed and the stone was exposed to immense heat. What will efforts to rebuild look like? We asked one of the engineers behind the reconstruction of Dresden's Frauenkirche church. Von Julia Merlot

'Notre Dame Reconstruction Will Take Years' - UIG/ image images

Priced Out Rising Rents Are Putting the Squeeze on Germans

Housing shortages have become a serious issue in many German cities, where there is a shortfall around 2 million affordable apartments. A new study shows that the problem is hitting low-earners hard. Von Markus Dettmer und Hannah Knuth

Rising Rents Are Putting the Squeeze on Germans - Dietrich / Bildagentur-online

SPIEGEL Interview with Architect Herzog The Striking New Face of Hamburg

Architect Jacques Herzog has designed dozens of buildings together with his partner Pierre de Meuron. But his most controversial project to date, the Elbphilharmonie, is about to open in Hamburg. SPIEGEL spoke with Herzog about what the building's importance to the city. Von Ulrike Knöfel

Chinese Billionaire Zhang Xin 'The Old Model Doesn't Work Anymore'

In a SPIEGEL interview, billionaire real estate mogul Zhang Xin discusses the recent market crash, the end of China's building boom and why she views Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg as a role model for the wealthy. Von Bernhard Zand

'The Old Model Doesn't Work Anymore' - AP

Rem Koolhaas Interview 'We Shouldn't Tear Down Buildings We Can Still Use'

Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas talks to SPIEGEL about the new Fondazione Prada museum he designed in Milan, the danger of turning cities into historical Disneylands and his desire to raze an entire neighborhood of Paris. Von Marianne Wellershoff

'We Shouldn't Tear Down Buildings We Can Still Use' - OMA

Interview with Architect Albert Speer The Search for Sustainability at the Qatar World Cup

Does it make sense for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup? German architect Albert Speer, whose office is in charge of the project, says yes -- and is doing all he can to ensure sustainability. In a SPIEGEL interview, he says how. Von Maik Grossekathöfer und Juan Moreno

The Search for Sustainability at the Qatar World Cup - AS&P/ hhvision

Hipster Village Berlin Nightlife Grows Up

For a decade, Bar 25 was one of Berlin's wildest clubs. Now, its founders want to create a new development on the site. It is to cater to former clubbers and preserve an element of 1990s Berlin. But the hurdles are high. Von Philipp Oehmke

Berlin Nightlife Grows Up - SC Architekten

Social Design Made In Turkey Feeding Istanbul's Stray Dogs, a Bottle at a Time

The city of Istanbul is home to a special invention that is the manifestation of social design. A special vending machine dispenses food for stray dogs when people insert recyclable bottles and cans. Von Vivien Timmler

Feeding Istanbul's Stray Dogs, a Bottle at a Time - Pugedon Ycesan

Resurrecting Königsberg Russian City Looks to German Roots

The Allies bombed the Prussian city of Königsberg into the ground in 1944. Residents of what is today the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, a desolate Soviet landscape, are considering rebuilding the city center to reflect some of its historical German architecture. Von Susanne Beyer

Russian City Looks to German Roots - Thoralf Plath/ DER SPIEGEL

Bach to the Future Fans Want to Rebuild Composer's House

In the city of Goethe and Schiller, classical music fans want another famous former resident to be honored in Weimar. They're seeking to rebuild the home of Johann Sebastian Bach, who composed some of his most important works in the city. Von Karoline Kuhla

Fans Want to Rebuild Composer's House - www.bachhausweimar.de

Jailhouse Chic Investors Remake Germany's Disused Prisons

As inmate numbers in Germany steadily decline, some states are selling off unneeded correctional facilities to private investors. The result is a new brand of high-end apartments, hotels and event centers housed in renovated former prisons. Von Stephan Degenhardt

Investors Remake Germany's Disused Prisons - Ulf Schaumloeffel

From Apple to Amazon The New Monuments to Digital Domination

Technology giants in the United States are building bombastic new headquarters to immortalize their grandiose ambitions, while inside they plan to turn traditional office culture on its head. Von Thomas Schulz

The New Monuments to Digital Domination - DPA

Macedonian Makeover Europe's Flailing Capital of Kitsch

The Macedonian government has spent huge sums turning its capital, Skopje, into a neo-baroque architectural nightmare. The project's gaudy excesses camouflage a disastrous economy and troubling record on human rights. Von Till Mayer

Europe's Flailing Capital of Kitsch - Till Mayer

ECB Headquarters Skyrocketing Costs for Skyscraper Project

Estimated costs for the European Central Bank's new headquarters in Frankfurt have more than doubled. As has been happening with so many major projects in Germany, its construction has been plagued by poor planning, oversight and execution -- and endless delays. Von Andreas Wassermann

Skyrocketing Costs for Skyscraper Project - DPA

Sitting Pretty Austrian Bus Stops Get High-Design Makeover

A tiny Austrian village has put itself on the design map by commissioning international architects to create local bus stops. The sophisticated structures are proving popular with locals.

Depot Domiciles Train Stations Become Hip German Homes

Converting old train stations into living spaces is all the rage in Germany. They're charming and, often, affordable -- but making these buildings livable can be more difficult than people anticipate. Von Michael Kröger

Train Stations Become Hip German Homes - Robert Laack

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Germany's Architectural Atrocities

Germany is famous for its architectural transgressions. But according to a historian who has compiled a photo collection celebrating the country's ugliest edifices, it's time we learn to embrace them. Von Kristin Haug

Germany's Architectural Atrocities - DPA

Made in China The Green Futurism of Architect Ma Yansong

Chinese architect Ma Yansong has taken the West by storm with his organic, futuristic creations. With proposals to cover Tiananmen Square in thick forest and build a floating city over Ground Zero, no one can accuse him of playing it safe. Von Kevin Holden Platt

The Green Futurism of Architect Ma Yansong - Image courtesy of Ma Yansong

Container Park Craze Hipsters Create Oases in Urban Wastelands

Welcome to "Frau Gerold's Garden," a leafy urban oasis in Zurich made out of shipping containers. Such temporary hipstervilles, which combine trendy shops with food, music and urban gardening, are popping up all over the world -- but also priming the areas for development and gentrification. Von Antje Blinda

Hipsters Create Oases in Urban Wastelands - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Stairway to Hell A Spanish Skyscraper's Elevator Disaster

The 47-story luxury In Tempo tower in Benidorm, Spain was hyped as the tallest residential building in the European Union. Now a series of construction snafus -- including an inadequate elevator shaft -- have turned it into a national embarrassment. Von Frank Patalong