Along India's southwest coast dotted with a mix of colonial architecture and ancient heritage, the city of Kochi stands as a relic of foreign influence. A previously colonized town by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British now breathes new life into its built landscape. Across the world, in the German city of Kassel, the scars of World War II are etched into the environment, deep under its revived cultural soul. Both Kochi and Kassel, though worlds apart in geography and history, shared a commonality: the power of art and festivals to heal. In the aftermath of historical trauma, these cities found renewal in the creative expression of artists from around the globe.
Kassel: The Latest Architecture and News
Kollektiv Pavilion / Christoph Hesse Architects
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Architects: Christoph Hesse Architects
- Area: 19 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Andre Mohr Forstbetrieb, Twistetal
Maria Installation / Christoph Hesse Architects
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Architects: Christoph Hesse Architects
- Area: 20 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Stolle Gardening
Karlsauge Pavilion / Christoph Hesse Architects
Coal Museum / Christoph Hesse Architects
"Parthenon of Books" Constructed from 100,000 Banned Books Rises at Nazi Book Burning Site in Germany
Argentine artist Marta Minujín has created a full-scale replica of one of the world’s most famous structures, the Parthenon in Athens, constructed out of censored books as a symbol of resistance to political repression. Currently on display at the Documenta 14 art festival in Kassel, Germany, the 100,000 books that make up the monument have been sourced entirely from donations, allowing people from all over the world to contribute titles they feel a personal connection to.
Collaborating with students from Kassel University, Minujín selected more than 170 titles banned in various countries across the world. These books were then strapped to the steel structure with plastic sheeting, protecting them from the elements and allowing sunlight to filter through the building.
Grimmwelt / kadawittfeldarchitektur
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Architects: kadawittfeldarchitektur
- Area: 6000 m²
- Year: 2015
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Manufacturers: Hunter Douglas Architectural (Europe), Derako, Hunter Douglas
Science Park Kassel / Birk Heilmeyer und Frenzel Architekten
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Architects: Birk Heilmeyer und Frenzel Architekten
- Area: 6200 m²
- Year: 2015
Institute buildings University Kassel / ATELIER 30
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Architects: ATELIER 30
- Area: 12700 m²
- Year: 2010
Modular Pavilion / Prechteck
Held every five years, the competition for this year’s pavilion called for a temporary building which may be easily disassembled and relocated to another site. The modular pavilion by Prechteck exists of different parts, housing different functions, all singular cells, but the strongest in coexistence with its neighboring parts. The main concept is that during the 5 years, each cell can be assembled in a different German city and serve as an info booth to the next. At the beginning of the next five years, the parts get transported back and get reconnected on site. More images and architects’ description after the break.