Benedikt Hartl: Order and irritation
07:00 pm
Deutsches Architektur Zentrum DAZ, Wilhelmine-Gemberg-Weg 6, 2. Hof / Eingang H1, 10179 Berlin
Whether he is drawing up plans to transform Buckingham Palace into affordable housing, designing a hotel made from sections of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, or a plastic recycling plant instead of an ocean museum, Benedikt Hartl’s designs tend to irritate people. In conversation with Peter-André Alt, he explains how breaking the rules can foster innovation and why we need a radical rethink in construction and urban planning.
“Being irritating is a business principle at Opposite Office,” says Benedikt Hartl, talking about his architecture studio. Opposite Office’s projects are global sensations and, on occasion, international TV crews have stood outside the firm’s Munich office to report on its latest designs. But for Benedikt Hartl, media attention is not an end in itself. His aim is to raise the profile of architecture as a powerful force for creativity in social transformation processes and to spark debates about sustainability. His designs challenge current standards and seek radical solutions to social and environmental challenges, such as climate change. Genuine sustainability, he points out, does not require technology or laws – it calls for more intelligent use of existing resources and a willingness to challenge existing standards and promote the conversion of existing buildings rather than the construction of new ones. As well as attracting media attention, Hartl’s architectural designs have earned him insults and personal criticism. In this interview he explains how he tackles these challenges and talks about the daily contradictions he encounters in his work as an architect.
In collaboration with die Junge Akademie
Further information about the discussion series can be found here.
Benedikt Hartl
Benedikt Hartl studied architecture in Munich, Oslo, and Dar es Salaam. Before setting up his own architecture studio, Opposite Office, in 2017, he worked for several years as an architect and project manager in studios in Paris, Zurich, and Munich. His firm, which has won several international awards, addresses issues at the intersection between the environment, politics, and society. Hartl’s work has been published and exhibited in over 100 countries. He has been a university lecturer since 2014, teaching at universities in Germany, Sweden, Japan, and Ireland. In 2023 he was accepted into Die Junge Akademie.
Registration
Please irritate me! on March 25, 2025, 7pm (entry 6:30pm). The event is in German.
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Please irritate me! discussion series
In this discussion series we look forward to being irritated, alongside our audience, by unusual research questions, original approaches, and the latest research findings. As well as delving into individual research topics, we are interested in exploring the fundamental question of how new ideas are born in science and research. Join us to meet researchers who are following new paths, who challenge us with their research, and who offer up fresh perspectives on growing scientific knowledge. Further information about the discussion series can be found here.