Can there be a just state that lets all people live happily and that will provide for them? Thomas More already asked this question as a contemporary of Erasmus von Rotterdam and Martin Luther. The work "Utopia" is the first utopian novel, a model for many that followed. It features the account of a seafarer who claims to have come across an ideal state on a far-flung island. Thomas More discusses with him: Should there be private property? Is social equality good? Can a society generate enough goods if nobody strives for profit? Is there a good and just head of state? More might ask his questions as follows today: Who decides city? Who decides what is built where and how? And how is building law created? In a constitutional state, a pluralist democracy, in Berlin?
After 30 years, I return to the terrace of Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle and look over the ground floor of Broderie, past the Bassines des Tritons, over the Cascades up the hill to the gleaming golden statue of Hercules Farnese. The garden architect André Le Nôtre invented the French baroque garden with this masterpiece. Long before the steam engine and the Industrial Revolution. A geometric wonder park, conceived and controlled by the human mind in an inhospitable environment. Le Nôtre already knew that the world is a globe, but he would not have dreamed that his idea of a man-made world would one day embrace the entire earth. When my small group finally reaches Hercules Farnese, leaning casually on his club, we are tired from the blazing heat and do not even find any cool under the centuries-old plane trees. The lawns are withered and the over 100 fountains have been shut down.
Subsequent densification is the topic of the hour. Sounds like a mixture of packhorse, container ship and tenement barracks. And many authorities, armed with their current building laws, are fighting like rugby players to defend every additional metre. But in the world’s most attractive metropolises, people live together densely. Is construction in Germany possibly too low, too narrow, too loose and overall too airy? In my column in Immobilienwirtschaft 06/2018, I ask whether cities cannot also become better if their inhabitants move together more closely. However, urban densification must be politically intended and planned holistically. Then much denser cities could also become places with a high quality of life and community life.
The cheering of the enthusiastic patrons roars around me in the “Schuetzenzelt” tent at the Munich Oktoberfest. My gaze wanders from the gallery over the party makers, almost completely decked out in traditional costume. There are thousands in this tent alone. My Bavarian host is also surprised at so much global devotion to the lederhosen traditions of the region and enlightens me, “in the seventies, in our youth, we were all here in jeans.” Today, he regards this traditional costume show as a masquerade. Is it simply a kind of carnival and the joy of slipping into another identity? Dressing up as a Bavarian girl today, and as a Northern girl tomorrow? But on the “Wiesen”, at the Munich Oktoberfest, everyone is dressed in similar costume, and that as traditional as possible. This is about being part of a community, about cohesion strengthened by traditions and belonging to a group. This does address me emotionally.
On my journey through the world of architecture, I am always amazed at events taking place and wonder why this is actually happening, how it is happening and how it could be improved. On the jury for the ZIA (Zentraler Immobilien Ausschuss) Innovation Report, I discussed a host of projects for a whole day that might make our cities better.
We miss our connecting flight and experience a desert metropolis in Amman that has to fend for itself, a city far removed from international trade flows, without billions from oil but with millions of refugees. Jordan borders on the crisis-ridden areas of Palestine and Syria; the Jordan and the Dead Sea have all but dried up, not many tourist attractions that have emerged since Roman antiquity. The people here have a hard time getting by in the dusty heat. At least, there is peace.
For the social cohesion of society, my agenda for strategic urban development is as follows: Strengthen public institutions, draw up new urban development plans, adapt existing land use plans, generally build more densely and higher...
In 2021 the newspaper with a global readership will move its office to the high-rise office building in Europaallee designed by Eike Becker_Architekten.
Innovations are only good if they support the vividness and creativity, the diversity and richness of different ways of life.
In the competition with five other architectural offices Eike Becker_Architekten won in the final round against the office Sauerbruch Hutton. We are looking forward to this great project!
On November, 15th 2017 the 2. Innovation Conference of "ZIA" took place at the Cafe Moskau in Berlin. Eike Becker was there and exchanged ideas about future developments.
Same procedure as every year... Also in 2017 we've been visiting the "Expo Real" - the International Trade Fair for Property and Investement - in Munich. From October, 8th-10th 2017 we got informed about the latest news of the 2.003 exhibitors, had interesting conversations and made new contacts.
Fourteen Berlin architectural offices came togeterh on September, 2nd 2017 in the sports facilities of FSV Babelsberg 74 to fight for victory in the Berlin Architects Football Tournament. The team of "Max Dudler" won the final match...
Since 1992 the first Saturday in September has always been the day for 14 teams of architects to kick the ball and find the winner of the "ABC – Architekten Berlin Cup“. The tradition is that they play on small lawn fields in teams with one goalkeeper and seven field players including at least one child or one woman.
The jury of the contest about a high-rise at the square "Güterplatz" in Frankfurt a. M. selected the designed concept of Eike Becker_Architekten as the winner of the 3rd prize.
On Juli, 12th 2017 we welcomed a group of international employees of DORMA Hüppe at our office. We are looking forward to work togeter on upcoming projects...
Article in the member journal of BWV, June 2017
Video clip of program "Panorama" by ARD from April, 20th 2017
The department of building (Bauordnungsamt) of the Berlin district Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg gave the building permission for the high-rise "Spreeturm" close to the Ostbahnhof on October, 27th 2015. After finishing the design planning Eike Becker_Architekten were commissioned with the construction planning.
As in previous years Eike Becker_Architekten participated in the MIPIM, the worlds leading property market, in Cannes/France, that took place in the Palais des Festivals. From 14.-17. March 2017 we presented our current projects as partner of the "German Pavillon".
Eike Becker_Architekten got the permission for the first construction phase of their large-scale project at the "Kaiserlei" in Offenbach. An ensemble of buildings with 101.000 m2 gross building area is being planned.
An ensemble of buildings that is open to all sides and a bus station that is downsized to half of the current size at the square "Europaplatz" - this is how the heart of the city center of Mönchengladbach is supposed to look like in a few years. The jury of the urban design competition awarded the design of "House Westland" by Eike Becker_Architekten with the 3rd prize.
After winning the competition Eike Becker_Architekten were commissioned with the planning of the project. After intense negotiations the construction permit was given on January, 30th 2017.
In coordination with the senate administration of urban development and the district Mitte of Berlin the DWI Group ran a competition for the realization of an office building at the square "Otto-Weidt-Platz" in Berlin. Within a group of outstanding participants the design of Eike Becker_Architekten was awarded with the 3rd prize.
The jury of the competition chaired by Christoph Mäckler selected Eike Becker_Architekten togehter with Schulz & Schulz as the winners. After a revision phase Eike Becker_Architekten were commissioned by the Beamten-Wohnungs-Verein zu Berlin eG (Officials Housing Association) with the planning of a 20-storey high-rise in the district Gropiusstadt in Berlin.
In November 2016 the two buildings of "ma|ro" were completed and the first tenants moved into the offices. The two 7-storey corner buildings on both sides of the street "Neue Rothofstraße" create a new address for premium offices and high-scale retale areas.
Eike Becker_Architekten won the 1. prize for their draft for the property between the streets Max-Bill-Straße and August-Macke-Straße at the northern border of the development are "Rheinufer Süd" in Ludwigshafen...
Together with the landscape architects „ST raum a“ Eike Becker_Architekten won the 1. prize in the competition regarding the northern entry of the quarter "Rheinufer Süd" in Ludwigshafen...
The Cologne-based Pandion AG organizes a competition for the property in the Nürnberger Strasse in Berlin-Schöneberg. For their competition contribution Eike Becker_Architekten was contributed with the 2. prize...
In an extensive tendering and qualification procedure Eike Becker_Architekten, Dahm Architekten and the CONVIS as project controllers have been commissioned with the project development of a total of 2200 apartments by the GEWOBAG...
Eike Becker_Architekten are planning a residential building with 72 apartments with the size of 20 - 108 m2 for the empty site "Flughafenstraße 72-74". The project deals with the problems of living in urban spaces like living on minimal spaces...
Are investors egomaniacs, urban planners bullheaded, architects dreamers, and bankers greedy? One could keep adding to the list: do lawyers like to argue, are general contractors underhanded? And real estate agents? Nobody likes them, anyway! And the real estate sector is a club of old men, who have seen it all! None of these preconceptions hold water. But they lead to a number of questions...
NDC Nippon Development Corporation Real Estate Management GmbH has purchased one of the last available premises at Am Postbahnhof and is planning to erect a high-rising building with about 15,000 m² of gross floor area for commercial use there. Building work on the project that is close to Berlin Ostbahnhof will start very soon. Eike Becker_Architeken have been awarded the planning contract...
35 pieces of work including the contribution by Eike Becker_Architekten will be shown in BDA-Galerie in Berlin-Charlottenburg from November 11 in the framework of the exhibition "05 Capital Berlin. 40/40 positions on the further development of the government quarter in Berlin“...
After the Oktoberfest is before the Expo Real in Munich. This year it boasted 1,600 exhibitors from over 30 countries. As usual, without London, Paris, Madrid or Rome, … but with Moscow and 37,000 visitors. Brief impression: 36,000 men from the baby-boomer generation in dark suits and too tight shoes. All out to go speed dating ...
