09 25
VIENNESE REFLECTIONS
INSIDE | OUTSIDE
In architecture, reflection is more than a visual phenomenon, it is a spatial strategy. Reflective surfacesdistort, multiply, conceal and reveal. By bending light and redirecting vision, they unsettle form, openingspace totransformation and new questions. It is not only reflection; redirected light itself can changespatial experience, shaping atmosphere and perception in subtle but powerful ways.
Sometimes these effects are intentional, designed to manipulate vision or amplify space. Other times, they occur by chance. Reflection and light behaviour are inherent qualities in many materials, often unnoticed until a specific moment reveals them. Light streaming through a window can illuminate a smallpart of a façade opposite, unexpectedly highlighting architectural details that may otherwise gounnoticed. These accidental moments are as striking as the planned ones, reminding us thatarchitecture is always shifting, responsive and alive.
Reflection also allows us to reframe space, to see it from a new perspective. In reflection, the boundary between structure and image dissolves. A mirrored surface does not simply replicate space, it questions it, inviting doubt, projection, and possibility. Similarly, redirected light can reveal hidden geometries or create ephemeral thresholds, reshaping space in real-time.
Vienna provides fertile ground for exploration, with itsrich architectural tradition, cafés featuring mirrored interiors and grand compositions that play with light and perception. The city becomes a living laboratory for reflective experimentation.
This workshop invites participants to explore reflection and light as architectural tools. We will investigate the qualities trough collective discussions and hands-on experiments. Participants will work on individual compositions, engaging with reflective materials to create site-specific installations. By merging theory, material exploration, and embodied experience, we will reimagine space, not as fixed, but as layered, shifting, and alive.
Eduard Cristea @eduard.epc
Jasmine Baer
Marta Kukurudziak @marta.kukurudziak
Martin Tlamka @slunickovymartin
Patris Ganaj @broccolisandwich_
Wataru Nakayama @watamayo_archi
INSIDE | OUTSIDE
In architecture, reflection is more than a visual phenomenon, it is a spatial strategy. Reflective surfacesdistort, multiply, conceal and reveal. By bending light and redirecting vision, they unsettle form, openingspace totransformation and new questions. It is not only reflection; redirected light itself can changespatial experience, shaping atmosphere and perception in subtle but powerful ways.
Sometimes these effects are intentional, designed to manipulate vision or amplify space. Other times, they occur by chance. Reflection and light behaviour are inherent qualities in many materials, often unnoticed until a specific moment reveals them. Light streaming through a window can illuminate a smallpart of a façade opposite, unexpectedly highlighting architectural details that may otherwise gounnoticed. These accidental moments are as striking as the planned ones, reminding us thatarchitecture is always shifting, responsive and alive.
Reflection also allows us to reframe space, to see it from a new perspective. In reflection, the boundary between structure and image dissolves. A mirrored surface does not simply replicate space, it questions it, inviting doubt, projection, and possibility. Similarly, redirected light can reveal hidden geometries or create ephemeral thresholds, reshaping space in real-time.
Vienna provides fertile ground for exploration, with itsrich architectural tradition, cafés featuring mirrored interiors and grand compositions that play with light and perception. The city becomes a living laboratory for reflective experimentation.
This workshop invites participants to explore reflection and light as architectural tools. We will investigate the qualities trough collective discussions and hands-on experiments. Participants will work on individual compositions, engaging with reflective materials to create site-specific installations. By merging theory, material exploration, and embodied experience, we will reimagine space, not as fixed, but as layered, shifting, and alive.
Eduard Cristea @eduard.epc
Jasmine Baer
Marta Kukurudziak @marta.kukurudziak
Martin Tlamka @slunickovymartin
Patris Ganaj @broccolisandwich_
Wataru Nakayama @watamayo_archi
01 25
The project amplifies the abbey’s ethereal presence through a minimalist gesture: a white inclined platform, supported by slender pillars, hovers above the ruins, leaving the historic structure untouched. The platform offers two distinct experiences: an open, meditative space above and a shaded, contemplative area below. Cutouts frame views of the landscape, connecting visitors to the elements—water, light and nature—while inviting a deep relationship with the natural surroundings. The shifting patterns of light throughout the day breathe life into both levels, encouraging reflection and immersion in the site‘s timeless essence. The bell tower is reactivated as a vertical connection, with a staircase linking the ground level to its highest point. This intervention breathes new life into the tower, preserving its symbolic and functional significance while offering fresh perspectives on the landscape. Below the platform, a circular volume houses the program’s core spaces: a communal kitchen and dining area, shared bathrooms, and facilities for meditation and workshops. Integrated subtly into the shaded space, it maintains the design’s purity while ensuring functionality.
The platform creates a dialogue between lightness and weight, past and present. It transforms the abbey into a landmark where architecture, history, and landscape converge to inspire reflection and connection.
10 24
The reconstructed façade of the Berliner Schloss stands as a towering emblem of a misled conversation. The “Berliner” were able to reimagine the long-forgotten castle due to the The Stadtschloss-Attrappe (1993), a massive scaffolding system, holding a 1:1 facade replica. The debate about what to do with such a complex site, found a way too simple answer: the reconstruction of the Berliner Schloss. Due to this simplification, today the question is how to unveil the well-hidden layers of history.
REFLECTING BERLIN is both collective deep thinking and the physical return of light that allows to face the past. The artistic installation is a detached scaffolding structure placed in front of the palace’s façades: one side is adorned with a mirror, the other hosts an open staircase.
The mirror is facing the Humboldt Forum and transforms the place into a public space of reflection, urging viewers to delve into the layers of history beneath the surface. The reflective side will serve as a canvas for artistic installations and critical expressions, with contributions that continuously reinterpret the façade, creating a living dialogue that brings new life into the historical narrative. Adaptable to any of the Forum’s façades, its temporary nature underscores the ongoing dialogue about history and identity, mirroring Berlin’s ever-evolving narrative. The structure engages with its urban context, fostering a dialogue with the Altes Museum and Berlin’s broader historical landscape.
The open staircase, inspired by Schinkel’s architectural principles, will provide an unusual panorama of the city, offering viewers a perspective that situates the Humboldt Forum within Berlin’s intricate tapestry. Each level of the structure will host exhibitions exploring the site’s complex history, the provenance of the collections, and Berlin’s diverse narrative. These spaces will invite informal appropriation by the public, making the history of Berlin a living experience.
REFLECTING BERLIN becomes a profound statement, a vessel for both literal and metaphorical contemplation. By reflecting the Humboldt Forum’s façade, the mirror initiates a dialogue between reality and its replica, exposing the tension between the visible and the concealed complexities of history. This interplay becomes a powerful symbol of the duality inherent in the site’s history — a link between the reconstructed façade and the multifaceted narratives of Berlin’s past. Furthermore, it allows a multiple intervention on the façades.
REFLECTING BERLIN in both light and thought, honors the complexities of history and paves the way for a future that acknowledges and learns from its past.
05 24