Raumlabor Berlin is a group of architects with offices in Berlin, established in 1999 with six founding members: Andrea Hofmann, Axel Timm, Benjamin Foerster-Baldenius, Francesco Apuzzo, Jan Liesegang and Markus Bader, later joined by Christof Mayer and Martin Heberle...
In 2002 Matthias Rick joined the group after completing his studies. Raumlabor Berlin is not a studio working with conventional techniques, but rather an experimental laboratory (composed of architects, city planners and artists), working together with professionals from other areas: designers, filmmakers, musicians, ethnologists and sociologists.
RaumlaborBerlinmeets the challenges of urban rehabilitation by collaborating and interfacing with the various stakeholders, as well as building social connections with the residents of the cities in question, in the belief that no-one better knows the problems of urban areas than those who have to do with them every day. RaumlaborBerlinis active in projects for abandoned public areas, in the conviction that architecture has a calling to revitalise such spaces by means of urban experimentation and transformation. This open up new horizons for alternative uses, collective ideals and diversity in the city.
Some examples of this practice include Der Berg (2005), a spatial installation in the old Berlin Bundestag, Eichbaumoper (2009), an urban workshop for recovering a neglected urban transit point, Open House (2010), a vertical village as a generator for the open society in South Korea, and The Knot (2010), an workshop for artistic activities, dialogue and public presentation. Their urban projects include Kolorado Neustadt (2003-2006), scenarios for a new urban diversity in the city of Halle-Neustadt, Rahmenplanung (Framework Planning) Dachauer Str. in Munich(2009), Aktivierende Stadtentwicklung Flughafen Tempelhof (ActivatingCityDevelopmentTempelhofAirport) in Berlin(2007-2008) and collaboration for the IBA Berlin 2020 concept (2011).
Raumlabor Berlinalso works to transform urban areas into completely new and unexpected spaces. Such projects include Kitchen Monument (2006) - exhibited at the 2010 Venice Biennale - a mobile sculpture which assumes the shape of a giant plastic bubble, bringing the kitchen into the city. After Liverpool, Duisburg, Utrechtand Venice, the KitchenMonumentwill also be shown in Berlin. Among their major projects we can mention the Fountain House in Montreal, Canada(2014), a project which promotes the concept of public assets by celebrating free access, and Cantiere Barca, Turin(2011), a youth centre and local arts workshop.
Markus Bader è visiting professor at the Prague School of Art, Architecture and Design. He has also worked as director of a working group at Aalborg University. He is assistant professor at Brandeburg Technical University. He currently works as architect, city planner and artist for Raumlabor Berlin, and teaches at the Peter Behrens Architecture Faculty in Düsseldorf.
A new, high impact project which Markus Bader will present at Cersaie on Thursday 1 October at the Architecture Gallery. He will be discussing his work and projects with Fulvio Irace from the Milan Polytechnic.
