Sauerbruch Hutton is an international agency for architecture, urban planning and design. It was founded in London in 1989 and is now based in Berlin, Germany. The practice is led by Matthias Sauerbruch, Louisa Hutton and Juan Lucas Young.

Architecture

The office's best-known buildings include the GSW Headquarters in Berlin, the Federal Environment Agency in Dessau and the Brandhorst Museum in Munich. More recently, the Experimenta Science Centre in Heilbronn and the Museum District M9 in Venice Mestre were opened. Outside of Germany the firm has worked on projects in the UK, Finland, France, Italy, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

Early work

The firm's first offices were located in London, where both founders were engaged in teaching roles. Many of their first commissions were in relatively confined urban areas, such as L House in London. A typical Victorian terrace, this was the practice's first essay in applied colour. The architects used colour to visually expand the cramped spaces. Early competition entries for Paternoster Square in London (1989), Tokyo International Forum (1989) and the Junction Building in Birmingham (1989) all offered socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable alternatives to the conventions in architecture and planning at the time.

The GSW Headquarters

The GSW Headquarters is situated 250 meters from

Checkpoint Charlie Checkpoint Charlie (or "Checkpoint C") was the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War (1947–1991), as named by the Western Allies. East German leader Walter Ulbricht agitated and maneu ...

. It was the first tall building to rise in Berlin after the fall of the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the gover ...

. The winning competition proposal by Sauerbruch Hutton was a critique of the " Critical reconstruction" established by Hans Stimmann, Berlin's building director from 1991 to 2006.

Major works

In the works that followed, they continued to develop sustainable buildings as well as the use of colour as a building material on projects throughout Europe. The Federal Environmental Agency in Dessau (2005) was a benchmark in the design of sustainable office buildings. A serpentine plan fosters a personal, corporeal perception of the building as one walks along its length – an uncommonly sensuous gesture for an office building. Printed glass emerged as one of the practice's research interests, with their Pharmacological Research Laboratories (2002) and Jessop West (2008) and Cologne Oval Offices testing new potential for the material. In 2008, with the Brandhorst Museum, Sauerbruch Hutton also began exploring the applications of glazed ceramic as a facade material which is being continued in the development of the M9 Museum in Mestre/Venice. File:Museum Brandhorst außen2a.jpg, Museum Brandhorst Munich, 2008 File:Cologne Oval Offices 01panorama.jpg, Cologne Oval Offices on Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer,

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

, 2010 File:ADAC-Zentrale, Munich, March 2017-03.jpg, ADAC Headquarters Munich, 2012 File:Moabit Kruppstraße 19 20.jpg, Haus 6, Berlin, 2017 File:Le musée M9 dans le nouveau quartier (Mestre, Vénétie) (48211409082).jpg, M9 Museum Quarter, Venice Mestre, 2018 File:Neubau experimenta.jpg, Experimenta, Science Center, Heilbronn, 2019

Recognition

The firm's GSW Headquarters won the Berliner Architekturpreis and Deutscher Architekturpreis, as well as several RIBA and AIA Awards and was nominated for a

Stirling Prize The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The S ...

in 2000. Several projects have been nominated for or reached the shortlist of the Mies Van Der Rohe Award. The Sitra Headquarters project received a 2011 Holcim Awards for Sustainable Constructionbr>Medium rise timber office building in low-to-no carbon emissions
and the KfW Westarkade received the 2011 Best Tall Building Worldwide Award

In acknowledgement of their built works Sauerbruch Hutton were awarded the Erich Schelling Prize for Architecture in 1998., the Fritz Schumacher Prize for Architecture in 2003, the International Honour Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2010 and the

Gottfried Semper Gottfried Semper (; 29 November 1803 – 15 May 1879) was a German architect, art critic, and professor of architecture who designed and built the Semper Opera House in Dresden between 1838 and 1841. In 1849 he took part in the May Uprising i ...

Architekturpreis in 201

Biographies

Matthias Sauerbruch (b. 1955) studied architecture at Berlin's ''Hochschule der Künste'' (now

Berlin University of the Arts The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research universit ...

) and at the

Architectural Association The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, commonly referred to as the AA, is the oldest independent school of architecture in the UK and one of the most prestigious and competitive in the world. Its wide-ranging programme ...

in London, graduating in 1984. He has worked at

Rem Koolhaas Remment Lucas Koolhaas (; born 17 November 1944) is a Dutch architect, architectural theorist, urbanist and Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He is often cited as a r ...

Office for Metropolitan Architecture The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) is an international architectural firm with offices in Rotterdam, New York, Hong Kong, Doha, and Australia. The firm is currently led by eight partners - Rem Koolhaas, Reinier de Graaf, Ellen van ...

in London, leading the House at Checkpoint Charlie project. He has maintained an involvement in teaching throughout his professional career, having held professorships at the University of Virginia, the State Academy of Art and Design in Stuttgart and Berlin Technical University. In 2005 he was appointed Kenzo Tange Visiting Design Critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. From 2012 to 2015 he was a guest professor at Berlin University of Arts Universität der Künste. He's a commissioner of the Zurich Building Council, a trustee of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation and a Honorary Fellow of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to s ...

. A member of the

Academy of Arts, Berlin The Academy of Arts (german: Akademie der Künste) is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The Academy's predecessor organization was fo ...

, in 2013 he was the curator of "Culture:City
Culture:City
an exhibition shown at the Academy of Arts, Berlin and at

Kunsthaus Graz The Kunsthaus Graz, Grazer Kunsthaus, or Graz Art Museum was built as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2003 and has since become an architectural landmark in Graz, Austria. Its exhibition program specializes in contemporar ...

that took a critical eye to the relationship between culture, architecture and urban development. Sauerbruch is a grandson of the surgeon Ferdinand Sauerbruch. Louisa Hutton (b. 1957) completed her undergraduate degree at

Bristol University , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

and later graduated from the

. She worked at the offices of

Alison and Peter Smithson Alison Margaret Smithson (22 June 1928 – 14 August 1993) and Peter Denham Smithson (18 September 1923 – 3 March 2003) were English architects who together formed an architectural partnership, and are often associated with the New Brutalis ...

and has taught at the AA, the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

. She is a member of the Curatorial Board of the Schelling Architekturstiftung, and was a Commissioner at CABE and a member of the first Steering Committee for the Bundesstiftung Baukultur. In 2014 Louisa Hutton was elected as a Royal Academician of the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

. Juan Lucas Young (b. 1963 in Buenos Aires) studied at the

Universidad de Buenos Aires The University of Buenos Aires ( es, Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBA) is a public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Established in 1821, it is the premier institution of higher learning in the country and one of the most prestigi ...

. He has been a partner at Sauerbruch Hutton since 1999.

Office Structure

Since 2022 the responsibilities for the office are shared by 15 partners and 7 associates, with Matthias Sauerbruch, Juan Lucas Young, Vera Hartmann and David Wegener as directors. About 130 architects, designers, technicians, model makers and administrative specialists work at the Berlin-based office.

Projects

*L-House, London (1991) *H-House, London (1995) *Photonic Centre,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

(1998) *Zumtobel Staff Showroom, Berlin (1999) *N-House, London (1999) *GSW Headquarters, Berlin (1999) *British Council, Berlin (2000) *BMW Event & Delivery Centre, Olympic Park, Munich (2001 competition, 1st Prize) *Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (2001 competition, 1st Prize; project cancelled) *Experimental Factory, Magdeburg (2001) *Pharmacological Research Laboratories, Biberach (2002) *Town Hall,

Hennigsdorf Hennigsdorf () is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated north-west of Berlin, just across the city border, which is formed mainly by the Havel river. History The municipality shared its borders with the form ...

(2003) *High-bay Warehouse for Sedus Stoll AG, Dogern(2003) *Fire and Police Station for the Government district, Berlin (2004) *Federal Environmental Agency, Dessau (2005) *Municipal Savings Bank, Oberhausen (2008) *

Museum Brandhorst The Brandhorst Museum was opened in Munich on 21 May 2009. It displays about 200 exhibits from collection of modern art of the heirs of the Henkel trust Udo and Anette Brandhorst. In 2009 the Brandhorst Collection comprises more than 700 works. ...

, Munich (2008) *

Jessop West Jessop West is a building in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and is part of the University of Sheffield. Designed by Berlin-based architectural firm Sauerbruch Hutton, it was completed in 2009, and is on the corner of Leafygreave Road and Upper Hano ...

, Sheffield (2009) *Cologne Oval Offices, Cologne (2009) *Maciachini, Milan (2010) * Türkentor, Munich (2010) * KfW Westarkade, Frankfurt (2010) *

ADAC ADAC, officially the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (), is Europe's largest motoring association. ADAC is the largest club (Verein) in Germany with around 21 million members. It would be more aptly described today as an individual mo ...

Headquarters, Munich (2012) *Saint-Georges Centre, Geneva (2011) *Zac Claude Bernard, Paris (2011) *University Building, Potsdam (2011) *Immanuel Church and Parish Centre, Cologne (2013) *Offices for Munich Re, Munich (2015) *Kinetik, office building at Boulogne-Billancourt (2014) *Ministry of Urban Development and the Environment, Hamburg (2013)
M9 Museum
Venice-Mestre (2018) *Experimenta, Heilbronn (2019) *Berlin Metropolitan School, Berlin, 2020 * Luisenblock, Offices for the German Parliament, Berlin, 2021 *Headquarters for Médecins sans Frontières, Geneva, 2022

Exhibitions

* WYSIWYG, traveling exhibition, 1999 * Eyescape Soundscape,

Venice Biennale of Architecture Venice Biennale of Architecture (in Italian Mostra di Architettura di Venezia) is an international exhibition of architecture from nations around the world, held in Venice, Italy, every other year. It was held on even years until 2018, but 20 ...

, 2004 * 1234 – Die Architektur von Sauerbruch Hutton,

Pinakothek der Moderne The Pinakothek der Moderne (, ''Pinakothek of the Modern'') is a modern art museum, situated in central Munich's '' Kunstareal''. Locals sometimes refer to it as the ''Dritte'' ("third") ''Pinakothek'' after the Old and New. It is one of the world' ...

, Munich, 2006 * How Soon Is Now, Galerie Judin, Berlin, 2014 * Oxymoron,

, 2018 * draw love build – l'architettura di sauerbruch hutton, Venice-Mestre, 2021

Bibliography

* Vera Gloor, Ulrike Kremeier (ed.): ''Sauerbruch Hutton, Projekte 1990–1996 Projects'' . Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel 1996, * Matthias Sauerbruch, Louisa Hutton: gsw hauptverwaltung berlin – gsw headquarters berlin, Lars Müller Publishers, Baden 2000, * Fernando Márquez Cecilia, Richard Levene (ed.): El Croquis No. 114(I) – Sauerbruch Hutton Architects – Against Type, El Croquis Editorial, Madrid 2003, ISSN 0212-5683 * Matthias Sauerbruch, Louisa Hutton: Sauerbruch Hutton Archive, Lars Müller Publishers, Zurich 2006, * Monica Gili (ed.): 2G N.52 Sauerbruch Hutton, Editorial Gustavo Gili, Barcelona 2009, ISSN 1136-9647 * Nicolette Baumeister: ''Baukulturführer 48 – Museum Brandhorst, München.'' Koch, Schmidt u. Wilhelm 2010, * Matthias Sauerbruch, Louisa Hutton: Sauerbruch Hutton – Colour in Architecture, Distanz Verlag, Berlin 2012, * Matthias Sauerbruch, Louisa Hutton: Sauerbruch Hutton Archive 2, Lars Müller Publishers, Zurich 2016, * Nicolette Baumeister: ''Baukulturführer 107 – Immanuelkirche, Köln.'' Koch, Schmidt u. Wilhelm 2016, * Hachette Fascicoli (ed.): I Maestri dell'Architettura – Sauerbruch Hutton, Hachette Fascicoli s.r.l, Milan 2018, ISSN 2610-8542 * Dr. Sandra Hofmeister (ed.): Edition DETAIL – Sauerbruch Hutton, DETAIL, Munich 2019, * Matthias Sauerbruch, Louisa Hutton (ed.): The Turn of the Century – A Reader about Architecture in Europe 1990–2020, Lars Müller Publishers, Zurich 2021,

References

External links

Harvard exhibition
* *"Louisa Hutton." ''Sauerbruch Hutton – Louisa Hutton'', https://www.sauerbruchhutton.de/en/person/louisa-hutton *"Louisa Hutton: Artist: Royal Academy of Arts." ''Louisa Hutton , Artist , Royal Academy of Arts'', https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/name/louisa-hutton-ra

Books

Sauerbruch, Matthias, et al. ''Sauerbruch Hutton: Colour in Architecture''. Distanz, 2012{{Authority control Architecture firms of Germany Companies established in 1989 21st-century German architects