gmp architekten: The Latest Architecture and News

Meinhard von Gerkan, founder of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects (gmp), and one of the most influential German architects, passed away in Hamburg at the age of 87, on November 30, 2022. With a worldwide contribution to the field of architecture, in his 50 years of career, von Gerkan has created one of the largest practices in Germany, with 600 employees in seven locations. University professor and critic, the architect together with gmp, has completed more than 500 projects all over the world.

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The team of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects (gmp) has created a new vision for the Berlin-Tegel Airport in Germany. As of May 2021, the site will be developed into a research and industrial park for urban technologies. Dubbed the Berlin TXL–Urban Tech Republic, the project will transform existing buildings to house new functions, and include the addition of a new start-up and innovation center in the central terminal building.

Architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp), together with bbp, obtained the commission to refurbish the concert hall at Kiel Castle, dating back to the early 1960s, according to the established conservation principles.

Architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp) have been awarded first prize in the competition to modernize Hans Scharoun's Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin State Library). Restructuring the library, their proposal for the golden “ship of books” was made to meet the demands of 21st century institutions while celebrating the existing building. The new project aims to showcase the history of Scharoun building and its development.

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Gerkan, Marg and Partners (GMP) has won an international competition for the design of a new tower complex in Shenzhen’s “Super Bay City” business district. Consisting of three distinct blocks linked at the base, the primary tower of the Hengli International Building rises 250 meters to become an impressive landmark and a cultural destination for the new business district.

Located in Shenzhen Bay, to the west of the Chinese megacity, the urban masterplan containing the GMP scheme seeks to become a “high-density urban development with high-rise buildings of up to 600 meters.” Contributing significantly to the area’s skyline, the GMP proposal features three distinct volumes: a 250-meter-high office tower, a 36-meter-high conference center, and an 80-meter-high “culture tower.” Providing a rhythm to the tower’s verticality, “sky gardens” have been designed at various levels to be used as public amenity areas on the main tower, and the adjacent conference center and “culture tower.”

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Not all architects get the opportunity to design a museum. Between budget, scale and factors external to the field of architecture, designing a museum--and actually getting it built-- may mark the pinnacle of one's professional trajectory.

These public buildings provide an invaluable service to the communities in which they are located; from education to commemoration and (occasionally) the provision of public space, museums are "shining lights" in which architecture plays a fundamental role. 

gmp Architeckten (von Gerkan, Marg and Partners) has revealed their competition-winning design for a 150 meter-tall glass tower at the new global headquarters . Located across from the former Expo site on the banks of the Huangpu River, the tower features a vertically structured glass facade offering expansive views and reflecting its impressive surroundings back towards visitors to the site.

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The results of a competition to propose an openable roof over the Arena di Verona, Italy have been announced. Three winners were chosen out of eighty-seven proposals to cover the famous amphitheater, a defining symbol of the city of Verona. The competition was announced in March 2016 in order to protect the Roman monument from the elements and to ensure that it continues to provide quality entertainment to spectators two thousand years after its construction.

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Following a closed competition, which included practices like OMA, KPF and Henn Architects, gmp Architects was selected to design the new CNPEC Headquarters in Longgang, Shenzhen, Southeast China. The power corporation called for a new building that could house over 4000 employees. Read more about gmp’s design proposal after the break.

Slated for completion in 2017, construction on the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) Sports Centre has begun. The complex, designed by gmp Architekten, will combine sports, leisure and cultural facilities along with generous retail and hotel areas all embedded in a generous public landscape. Read more about this addition to China’s Suzhou Industrial Park after the break.

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Gmp Architekten has won a competition to design the masterplan and architectural concept for the National Exhibition and Trade Fair Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. The firm’s lotus-inspired plan was one of nine competing international designs.

FC Barcelona has announced 14 teams in the running for two planned overhauls of their facilities at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, including alterations to their main stadium and the rebuilding of the Palau Blaugrana, the nearby arena owned by the club and used primarily for basketball and handball. The alterations to the two buildings are part of a larger €600 million project, known officially as "Nou Espai Barça," which seeks to improve the club's entire campus, also adding an ice skating rink, new offices, 5,000 parking spaces and improving the outdoor space surrounding the facilities. The Nou Espai Barça project was approved by the club's fanbase last April after a 72% vote in favor of the proposal.

The list names eight teams - including BIG, Populous, HKS and Arup Sport - in the running for the overhaul of the stadium itself, which will involve the addition of almost 6,000 seats to bring the stadium's total capacity to 105,000, increasing the stadium's lead as the largest football stadium in Europe. It will also include a complete redesign of the lowest seating tier to offer improved views, and the addition of a roof over the terraces. Also named are the six teams in the running to rebuild the Palau Blaugrana.

The 54th edition of Milan Design Week (also known as Salone del Mobile) recently came to a close. In celebration of its success, we have compiled a list of the most talked about architect-designed products showcased this year. Take a look after the break to see new products from Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, David Chipperfield, and more.

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CEMEX has announced both the international and national winners of the XXIII Building Awards, which aim to recognize the best architecture and construction both internationally and within Mexico. All projects were reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of some of the most important and prestigious representatives of the industry at an international level.

The international awards recognizing housing, institutional/industrial and large-scale infrastructure projects that were built during 2013 and stand out for their constructive solutions, aesthetics and innovative techniques. Finalist projects ranged from Frank Gehry’s Biomuseo in Panama to Plan B Arquitectos’ Click Clack Hotel in Bogotá, Colombia, covering a range of countries and architectural styles.

The CEMEX Building Award is itself a unique piece of art created by Mexican sculptor Miguel Angel Gonzalez and made out of black marble and concrete.

Read on after the break for both the international and national winners…

The Guangzhou Bureau of Science and IT has announced the shortlists for two major projects in Guangzhou. The two museum projects - the Guangzhou Museum and the Guangzhou Science Museum, each worth over $160 million - will be the latest in a host of high profile projects in China's third-largest city, a list which includes Zaha Hadid's Guangzhou Opera House, the 600m tall Canton Tower, IFC Guangzhou by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and the Guangzhou Circle, among others.

The Guangzhou Museum will be located to the West of Lingnan Square near the Canton Tower, while the Guangzhou Science museum will be located to the East. Practices making the two lists include Bjark Ingels Group, Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, TFP Farrells, MAD Architects and Steven Holl Architects. Read on after the break for the complete shortlists.