Chapter 5 - Neo-Rationalism

First Wave of Neo-Rationalism (La Tendenza)

• Neo-Rationalism began in Italy in the 1960s as a movement called La Tendenza.

• It was developed by a group of young architects seeking an alternative to strict modernist ideas.

• They aimed to move beyond modernist orthodoxy without completely rejecting Modernism.

• The movement focused on rethinking architecture through rational principles while reconnecting with history and tradition.

Neo-Rationalism & Gruppo 7

• The Neo-Rationalist movement (La Tendenza) saw itself as the continuation of Gruppo 7 from the 1920s–1930s.

• This later group was an informal circle of architects influenced by figures like Ludovico Quaroni, Ernesto Nathan Rogers, and Giuseppe Samonà.

• It included key architects such as Aldo Rossi, Giorgio Grassi, Guido Canella, Vittorio Gregotti, and Carlo Aymonino.

• Gruppo 7 was founded in 1926 to reform architecture through Rationalism.

• Their goal was to balance classical architecture with modern, industrial-inspired design from the early 20th century.

Neo-Rationalism – Goals & Approach

• A main goal of Neo-Rationalist architects was to reconnect architecture with its urban context (the city).

• They aimed to shift focus from individual buildings to the broader city, linking architecture to history, sociology, and economics.

• Architecture was redefined using ideas from Enlightenment theory and early modern thought.

• Key concepts included typology (building types) and morphology (urban form and structure).

• Aldo Rossi and Giorgio Grassi were central figures in this movement.

• Giorgio Grassi was influenced by German modernists and focused on rationalism through studying consistent types and architectural rules.

Neo-Rationalism – Spread & Characteristics

• Neo-Rationalism spread beyond Italy to the rest of Europe and internationally.

• It promoted architecture as a disciplined “art of building” based on rational methods.

• The movement reacted against expressive and eclectic styles common in Postmodern architecture.

• It emphasized clarity, logic, and structure in design rather than decoration or symbolism.

• In some cases, it used classical principles like proportion, order, and hierarchy.

• However, it avoided direct historical imitation or symbolic references, focusing instead on abstract and rational design.

The 15th Milan Triennale 1973

• The 15th Milan Triennale featured architects from the La Tendenza movement.

• Aldo Rossi was the director and curated the International Architecture section.

• Other contributors included Bonicalzi, Braghieri, Franco Raggi, Massimo Scolari, and Daniele Vitale.

• The exhibition presented a critique of modernism and its limitations.

• It emphasized historical Italian urbanism and proposed alternatives based on tradition and urban form (morphology).

Aldo Rossi – General Theory

• Aldo Rossi developed a “scientific” way to study cities in The Architecture of the City, treating them as human creations that evolve over time.

• He combined measurable data with cultural and historical meaning to better understand urban form.

• Influenced by Ferdinand de Saussure, he analyzed cities like structured systems similar to language.

• His ideas also include Marxism (politics and class), anthropology (rituals), and references to the Greek city.

Rossi - The Architecture of the City (1966)

• The Architecture of the City marked a shift away from modernism toward traditional European urban forms.

• Rossi criticized modern architecture for ignoring how cities develop historically.

• He emphasized “urban artifacts” (lasting elements like buildings) as key to understanding cities.

• His idea of “collective memory” explains how monuments preserve identity and structure the city.

• The book influenced projects like the reconstruction of Berlin after 1990.

Rossi - ETH Zurich Teaching (1972)

• Aldo Rossi taught at ETH Zurich after leaving Politecnico di Milano.

• He created an intensive program with lectures, discussions, research, and study trips.

• His teaching focused on housing design at multiple scales, from districts to apartments.

• He emphasized typology, Enlightenment ideas, and rationalist thinking.

• His courses included lecture notes, publications, and guest seminars.

Rossi’s Style & Influences

• Rossi combined Neo-Rationalism (classical forms) with a personal, poetic style.

• His work is influenced by Enlightenment architects like Étienne-Louis Boullée, Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand, and Claude-Nicolas Ledoux.

• He was also influenced by Adolf Loos, especially in early works.

• Early projects like Villa ai Ronchi use simple geometric forms and avoid ornament.

Rossi - Gallaratese Housing Complex

• Aldo Rossi’s housing in Gallaratese (1969–73) is part of a larger complex by Carlo Aymonino, but stands out as a single, autonomous block.

• Its strict, linear form contrasts with Aymonino’s more irregular composition.

• The building is a long slab where apartments are arranged on two levels above a covered portico.

• The façade is defined by repetitive vertical elements (“fins”) and square windows, creating a strong rhythm.

• The ground level is an open, covered public space, allowing movement, paths, and meeting areas.

• The project reflects Rossi’s purist approach, emphasizing geometry, repetition, and urban form.

Rossi - Fagnano Olona School

• Aldo Rossi’s Elementary School in Fagnano Olona (1972–76) reflects his use of typology as an organizing system.

• The design is centered around an internal courtyard, a recurring element in his public projects.

• Wings extend from the courtyard, containing regular square classrooms arranged along corridors.

• The main pavilion at the front houses administrative spaces and the canteen.

• The courtyard is defined by a large stair (also used as an amphitheatre) and a cylindrical library volume.

• The library is topped with a conical roof and skylight, highlighting Rossi’s use of simple geometric (platonic) forms.

Rossi - Villa in Ronchi

• Rossi designed a villa in Versilia with Leonardo Ferrari during his “purist” phase.

• The design reflects influence from Adolf Loos with a simple, restrained style.

• The project is largely forgotten because it lacks Rossi’s typical visual and theoretical identity.

Rossi - IBA Berlin

• Aldo Rossi’s housing for the IBA Berlin 1987 (1981–87) reflects his shift toward a more historicist approach.

• Located in Berlin, the project follows the idea of “critical reconstruction,” re-establishing the traditional urban block.

• The building respects the perimeter and continuity of the existing city fabric.

• It distinguishes itself through materials like red brick and exposed metal elements, referencing industrial architecture.

• The façade is articulated with rhythmic elements, including steel-framed windows and pitched forms marking circulation towers.

• A cylindrical column at the corner acts as a symbolic feature, recalling historical references such as Filarete.

Rossi - Filarete’s Column Influence

• Filarete designed a column in Venice.

• Rossi reinterprets this historical element in modern form.

• The cylindrical column shows how Rossi adapts history into his own style.

Rossi - Vialba Housing

• In Milan, Rossi reused the cylindrical element in housing design.

• This reflects his consistent use of simple geometric forms.

• The project explores themes of memory, monumentality, and collective identity to give housing a lasting, symbolic presence.

Rossi - Teatro del Mondo

• Rossi designed this floating theatre for the Venice Biennale.

• The structure was temporary, made of wood on a steel frame.

• It was moved to other cities like Dubrovnik.

• The design combines a clear yet flexible space with symbolic form.

• Its main feature is floating on water, reflecting the identity of Venice.

Rossi - Bonnefanten Museum

• Aldo Rossi’s Bonnefanten Museum (1990–94) combines clear geometric forms with symbolic and spatial richness.

• The building follows an E-shaped plan, culminating in a cylindrical tower crowned by a zinc-clad dome with a belvedere.

• Entry is through a central foyer marked by a vertical, light-drawing tower, leading to a ceremonial stair and a large domed space.

• The composition blends rectangular blocks with cylindrical elements, reflecting Rossi’s use of pure, “platonic” forms.

• Materials and form reference both classical architecture (e.g., Alessandro Antonelli) and industrial imagery (such as silos).

• The project expresses Rossi’s poetic vision, where geometry, memory, and meaning remain open to interpretation.

Alessandro Antonelli

• Alessandro Antonelli was a 19th-century Italian architect and a leading figure of Neoclassicism in Piedmont.

• He had a long career designing houses, churches, and large urban projects.

• His most famous work is the Mole Antonelliana in Turin, one of the tallest masonry structures ever built.

• He also designed the Novara Cathedral and the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in Novara.

Giorgio Grassi

• Giorgio Grassi followed a stricter and more radical approach than Aldo Rossi.

• His architecture is based on rigid geometry and repeated types, with no variation or decoration.

• He prioritizes discipline, simplicity, and clarity over expression or aesthetics.

• He was influenced by Ludwig Hilberseimer, Heinrich Tessenow, and Adolf Loos.

• His work avoids symbolism, rhetoric, and dramatic forms, focusing on honest and rational design.

• He draws on historical archetypes and is strongly concerned with shaping urban space.

• Because of this strict approach, he stands out as a non-conformist and critic of mainstream architecture.

Ignasi de Solà-Morales

• Ignasi de Solà-Morales Rubió was a Catalan architect, historian, and philosopher.

• He contributed significantly to architectural theory and urban thinking.

• He coined the term “terrain vague,” referring to abandoned or undefined urban spaces.

• These spaces are seen as open, ambiguous areas with potential for new uses and meanings.

Grassi - Student Housing in Chieti

• Giorgio Grassi’s student housing in Chieti (1979) reflects his strict rational and typological approach.

• The project consists of two arcaded blocks facing each other across a well-proportioned street, recalling Neoclassical compositions.

• Each side is divided into three dormitory blocks and additional blocks for shared functions (e.g., cafeteria).

• The dormitory blocks culminate in communal living rooms overlooking the colonnade, reinforcing social interaction.

• The uniform façade, repetition, and full-height galleries emphasize order, clarity, and collective living.

• The project highlights architecture’s social role through structured urban space and shared facilities.

Grassi – Groningen Library

• Giorgio Grassi’s library in Groningen (1989) reflects his strict typological and rational approach.

• The building fits its context by matching the rhythm, scale, and materials of surrounding row houses without copying them.

• It is divided into two main slabs separated by a central void that maintains the street rhythm and forms an alleyway to the building.

• One slab contains offices, while the other houses the library, extending deeper into the site.

• The design uses plain brick with no ornamentation, emphasizing simplicity and order.

• Its strict geometry and construction logic give it a Minimalist, disciplined character.

Vittorio Gregotti

• Vittorio Gregotti differed from Aldo Rossi by focusing on the city and “territory” rather than typology and form.

• His idea of territory, influenced by Giuseppe Samonà, looks at architecture in relation to the larger landscape.

• He viewed architecture as a cultural and social practice, emphasizing responsibility and design across all scales.

• He played a major role in architectural discourse through Casabella and as director of the Venice Biennale.

Gregotti – Il Territorio dell’Architettura

• Vittorio Gregotti, in Il Territorio dell’Architettura (1962), expands architecture beyond individual buildings to the scale of the “territory.”

• He sees architecture as part of a broader system that includes landscape, history, and society.

• The “territory” is understood as a dynamic context that shapes and is shaped by architecture.

• This approach emphasizes integrating natural, historical, and social factors into design.

Gregotti – Concept of Territory

• Vittorio Gregotti sees the environment (“territory”) as shaped by layers of history embedded in the built landscape.

• The physical environment carries meanings that come from both its visible form and its deeper structure.

• Geography is understood as the accumulation of historical traces over time.

• The role of architecture is to reveal and interpret this context by transforming form, making the essence of the environment more visible.

Gregotti - University of Calabria

• Vittorio Gregotti’s University of Calabria (1973–79) reflects his concept of architecture at the scale of the “territory.”

• The project is organized along a 2 km axial system, structuring departments into a linear sequence of blocks.

• It is based on two interacting systems: functional (academic buildings) and morphological (landscape).

• The buildings adapt to the terrain while maintaining a clear geometric order.

• Housing and natural elements are distributed according to the site’s slopes, integrating architecture with the landscape.

• The complex “floats” over the terrain, minimizing impact and creating a balance between built form and natural context.

Gianugo Polesello

• The Tendenza movement also included architects like Gianugo Polesello and Guido Canella.

• Gianugo Polesello was an architect, urban planner, and professor at IUAV.

• His work focused on geometric forms, architectural drawing, and urban analysis.

• He collaborated closely with Aldo Rossi in the early 1960s, helping shape the ideas behind La Tendenza.

Polesello – University of Las Palmas

• Gianugo Polesello designed the University of Las Palmas (1988–91).

• The project reinterprets classical architecture using modern materials and technology.

• Concrete pillars form the main structure, supporting circulation paths, bridges, and glass elements.

• The overall composition is inspired by Greek and Roman architectural types, adapted into a contemporary design.

Guido Canella

• Guido Canella was known for studying urban typologies and anticipating themes of Postmodern architecture in Italy.

• His work focused on infrastructure and the structure of the city.

Canella - Pieve Emanuele Civic Centre

• In the Pieve Emanuele Civic Centre in Lombardy (1971–81), he used forms resembling a medieval castle.

• The design includes cylindrical brick towers connected by a cantilevered metal structure.

• The project combines historical references with a strong influence from Brutalism rather than strict Neo-Rationalism.

Second Wave of Neo-Rationalism

• A second wave of Neo-Rationalism spread across Europe in the 1970s, influenced by Aldo Rossi’s ideas and teaching at ETH Zurich.

• Key figures included Rob Krier, Léon Krier, Oswald Mathias Ungers, and Mario Botta.

• Rob Krier focused on urban space and the design of squares and buildings.

• Léon Krier developed a broader theoretical and political vision for traditional urbanism (New Urbanism).

• Oswald Mathias Ungers emphasized strict geometry, especially cubic forms, and saw architecture as an intellectual and autonomous discipline.

Krier Brothers & Urban Space

• Rob Krier and Léon Krier redirected Neo-Rationalism by focusing on the concept of “urban space.”

• They analyzed the failures of modern architecture and aimed to reconnect with 18th–19th century European urban traditions.

• Rob Krier’s book Stadtraum (1975) builds on ideas from Camillo Sitte’s Der Städtebau nach seinen künstlerischen Grundsätzen (1889).

• The book (translated as Urban Space) was supported by Colin Rowe.

• It became an important work in postmodern urban theory, promoting the preservation and revival of traditional urban spaces.

Krier Brothers – Practice & Projects

• Rob Krier and Léon Krier aimed to revive the 19th-century European city, often leaning toward Neo-Classical design.

• Their work focused on restoring traditional urban form through both redevelopment and new town planning.

• Key projects include Leinfelden (1971), Altona-Nord in Hamburg (1978–81), and several proposals in Berlin.

• These projects led to housing developments like Schinkelplatz and Tiergarten, reflecting traditional urban layouts and historical continuity.

Rob Krier – Stadtraum Approach

• Rob Krier’s Stadtraum (1975) is an illustrated manifesto explaining principles of good urban design.

• The book analyzes urban space through morphology (form) and typology (types of spaces).

• Krier criticizes the destruction of traditional urban spaces caused by war and modern “urban renewal.”

• He proposes practical design solutions to restore and improve public spaces.

• Unlike Aldo Rossi’s theoretical approach, Krier provides clear, visual guidelines for redesigning cities while maintaining historical continuity.

Rob Krier - Schinkelplatz

• Schinkelplatz (1977–87) by Rob Krier is organized around a large central public square.

• The project is made up of varied building units arranged around this space.

• The design emphasizes the importance of the square as the main organizing element of urban life.

Rob Krier - Tiergarten Housing

• The Tiergarten housing project (1980) by Rob Krier is organized around a rectangular courtyard.

• It uses “urban villa” types to form a cohesive residential composition.

• One end is defined by a curved, brick-clad building.

• This building is marked by two tower-like elements (campanile towers), creating a strong visual focus.

Léon Krier

• Léon Krier promotes a revival of traditional and regional architecture.

Léon Krier – Poundbury

• His project in Poundbury (from 1993), commissioned by Charles III, rejects modernist urban design.

• The town uses traditional forms (pitched roofs, classical details) and varied buildings by different architects.

• The layout is based on informal squares, pedestrian paths, and alleys.

• Inspired by Camillo Sitte, it avoids wide roads and rigid, axial planning.

Neo-Rationalism in Germany

• In Germany, Neo-Rationalism developed in a stricter, more rigid form, closer to Giorgio Grassi’s approach.

• Key figures include Oswald Mathias Ungers and Josef Paul Kleihues.

• Oswald Mathias Ungers was influential as both a theorist and educator.

• He taught in Berlin and at Cornell University, influencing architects like Rem Koolhaas.

• His work emphasized strict geometry, rational design, and strong theoretical foundations.

Ungers – Hotel Berlin Project

• Oswald Mathias Ungers’s unbuilt Hotel Berlin project shows his method of reworking basic architectural types.

• The design combines a circular form (drum) داخل a rectangular block.

• The rectangle is split into two parts: one square containing the circle, and another section forming the entrance.

• The outer perimeter holds the hotel rooms, raised above a portico.

• This perimeter acts like a “city wall,” giving the building a strong, enclosed and formal character.

Ungers – Museum of Architecture (Frankfurt)

• Oswald Mathias Ungers’s Museum of Architecture in Frankfurt (1979–84) transforms an existing riverside mansion using the idea of a “house within a house.”

• A new internal structure reinterprets the “original hut,” creating a theoretical exploration of architecture.

• He inserts a structural grid of columns to organize the interior and support new floors.

• The design combines a strict geometric order with an enclosed site that includes an open courtyard.

• This creates a contrast between rational structure and natural elements.

Ungers – Baden State Library

• Oswald Mathias Ungers designed the Baden State Library in Karlsruhe (1991) within a historic context.

• Karlsruhe is a Neoclassical city shaped by Friedrich Weinbrenner.

• The project replaced a library destroyed during World War II.

• Ungers organized the new building using a strict rational grid.

• The design occupies an entire urban block (quadrant), reinforcing order and clarity.

Josef Paul Kleihues

• Josef Paul Kleihues played a key role in the reconstruction of West Berlin through the IBA programme.

• He worked on both theoretical and built projects, though many remained unbuilt.

Kleihues - Archaeological Museum in Frankfurt

• His Archaeological Museum in Frankfurt (1984–88) combines restoration of a historic cloister and church with new additions.

• The new parts use a refined, planar design with polished travertine and careful detailing.

Kleihues – Kornwestheim Museum

• Josef Paul Kleihues’s museum in Kornwestheim (1988–89) combines a skewed rectangular form with a semi-circular element.

• The design adapts to the site while maintaining clear geometric composition.

• The building is clad entirely in travertine, giving it a refined and unified appearance.

• The rectangular pavilion has repetitive skylights, inspired by industrial structures.

• These industrial elements are elevated through high-quality materials and detailing.

• The project reflects Kleihues’s “poetic rationalism,” blending classical ideas with modernist principles.

Mario Botta

• Mario Botta’s work sits between Swiss, Italian, and American architectural influences.

• He studied at IUAV, where he encountered Le Corbusier, Carlo Scarpa, and Louis Kahn.

• Louis Kahn had a strong influence on his work.

• His architecture is based on clear geometric forms and strong compositions.

• He often uses ideas like “room within a room” and the relationship between served and serving spaces.

Mario Botta – Riva San Vitale House

• Mario Botta’s early house in Riva San Vitale (1971–73) shows his focus on pure geometric forms.

• The building uses materials like stone, concrete, and brick in a clear, layered composition.

• It sits on a hillside overlooking Lake Lugano and resembles a cubic tower (campanile).

• The house is accessed by a steel bridge from the upper level of the site.

• The carved (subtracted) volume allows light through glass curtain walls while avoiding direct exterior openings.

Mario Botta – Ligornetto House

• Mario Botta’s house in Ligornetto (1976) continues his use of strong geometric forms.

• The building appears as a solid, almost closed volume, acting like a boundary in the landscape.

• It is clad in alternating bands of colored stone, emphasizing its layered composition.

• A central passage splits the rectangular block into public and private zones.

• The house has three levels: ground floor for services, upper floor as the main living space (piano nobile).

• Light is brought in through geometric cut-outs rather than traditional windows.

Mario Botta – BSI Bank (Lugano)

• Mario Botta’s BSI Bank in Lugano (1982–88) shows strong influence from Louis Kahn.

• The design uses repetition to create a monumental composition.

• The building is divided into four interconnected blocks instead of one single mass.

• These blocks follow a V-shaped plan, ending in a rectangular element and connected by a linear “datum” of offices and circulation.

• This approach recalls Kahn’s method, especially his dormitory design at Bryn Mawr College.

Mario Botta – SFMOMA

• Mario Botta’s San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (1989–95) reflects his aim for monumentality.

• The building is a simple geometric mass, formed as a large brick podium.

• At its center is a cylindrical tower wrapped in alternating black and white stone bands.

• The top of the cylinder is cut at an angle and covered in glass.

• This creates a large oculus that brings natural light into the interior.

Mario Botta – Évry Cathedral

• Mario Botta’s Cathedral of Évry (1988–95) continues his use of strong geometric forms.

• The church is designed as a large cylinder with an oculus that brings natural light inside.

• A U-shaped rectangular volume surrounds the cylinder, housing supporting functions.

• The building is clad in brick, with detailed interior patterns recalling Carlo Scarpa.

• Botta designs the entire environment (Gesamtkunstwerk), including furnishings like benches and altar.

• The altar is made from carefully composed Carrara marble blocks, emphasizing craftsmanship.

Third Wave of Neo-Rationalism

• Neo-Rationalism has evolved beyond its original Italian phase and is now considered to be in a third wave.

• Its influence spread through architects taught by Aldo Rossi and Oswald Mathias Ungers, as well as through their ideas.

• This new phase continues a restrained, rational approach to architecture on a global scale.

• It stands in contrast to the expressive styles of Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid.

• The movement reflects the ongoing tension (from the Deutscher Werkbund debate) between standardization and artistic expression.

• Key architects in this third wave include:

  • David Chipperfield

  • Max Dudler

  • Emilio Tuñón Álvarez

David Chipperfield

• David Chipperfield emphasizes the importance of context (physical, social, and historical) in architecture.

• He argues that architecture must engage with its environment rather than act as an isolated object.

• Typology and form should come from the architect’s own conceptual process, not imposed rules.

• He sees Postmodernism as a turning point that reintroduced the idea of architecture as part of a larger built environment.

• Educated at the Architectural Association, he worked with Norman Foster and Richard Rogers.

• His work takes a more restrained and “conservative” approach, focusing on context and historical continuity rather than high-tech expression.

Chipperfield – Am Kupfergraben

• David Chipperfield’s Am Kupfergraben building in Berlin (2003–07) shows his approach to context and history.

• The project inserts a modern gallery into the historic Museum Island, matching surrounding heights and completing the urban block on a WWII-damaged site.

• It responds to its context without copying it, creating a dialogue between old and new.

• The façade uses off-white/reclaimed brick and stone, with large, irregularly placed wooden-framed openings that reflect interior functions.

• Inside, the design emphasizes light and proportion, with tall rooms and flexible layouts shaped by window placement.

• Natural light is carefully controlled, reinforcing the building’s calm, refined character.

Chipperfield – Galicia House

• David Chipperfield’s summer house in Galicia (1996–2002) reflects his contextual design approach.

• The house fits into the continuous coastal village while maintaining its own identity.

• It is composed of simple white volumes placed on a solid stone base.

• The design includes a glazed main level (piano nobile) with wide ocean views, and private spaces above with smaller openings.

• A large panoramic window connects the house visually to the sea and landscape.

• The composition responds to neighboring buildings, using interlocking forms and balancing solid and void.

Chipperfield – Museum of Modern Literature

• David Chipperfield’s Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach am Neckar (2001–06) is conceived as a “modern temple.”

• The building is partly embedded in the slope, with one level below ground and one projecting above.

• It responds to its context, positioned next to the historic Schiller Museum.

• The entrance appears as a pavilion with slender concrete columns, leading to tiered terraces overlooking the valley.

• The design carefully guides visitors from natural light to controlled artificial light for manuscript preservation.

• Materials are simple and refined: exposed concrete, limestone floors, and timber interiors, contrasting interior spaces with views outside.

Chipperfield – Naga Museum

• David Chipperfield’s museum in Naga (2008) is designed for a remote, context-less environment.

• The building is a simple rectangular structure based on a Neo-Classical layout.

• It uses a sequence of spaces starting from a portico, inspired by primitive post-and-lintel construction.

• The design follows the site’s slope with a broad stair-like progression.

• Interior spaces use thick walls, earth-toned materials, and clerestory lighting to create a calm atmosphere.

• The project acts as a modest “modern temple,” engaging the site without copying historical styles.

Chipperfield – Neues Museum

• David Chipperfield’s restoration of the Neues Museum (1993–2009) deals with rebuilding a WWII-damaged historic structure.

• The project combines restoration and new intervention, preserving remaining fragments while adding modern elements.

• The aim was to create a complete building that still reveals its layered history.

• The design reconstructs the original layout: central foyer, main nave, and two wings around courtyards.

• It became a key example of how to work with historic fabric, balancing past and present.

Chipperfield – James-Simon-Galerie

• David Chipperfield’s James-Simon-Galerie (1999–2018) serves as the main entrance to Museum Island.

• The design follows a strong classical composition, with a monumental stair and surrounding colonnade.

• It is built on the site of a former building by Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

• A stone plinth forms a public platform along the canal, accessible to visitors.

• The colonnade extends the historical language of nearby museums, linking the complex together.

• The building organizes functions vertically: entrance and foyer above, services below, and an auditorium at the lowest level.

James-Simon-Galerie – Interpretation

• Adrian von Buttlar describes the James-Simon-Galerie as a functional and carefully composed structure, not a copy or symbol of past styles.

• The building is understood as a monumental composition of space, light, material, and movement (kinaesthetic experience).

• Although it recalls historical works like the Propylaea and the Brandenburg Gate, it does not imitate them.

• It also relates conceptually to works by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Giorgio Grassi.

• Despite these references, the project stands as a unique and contemporary architectural work.

Max Dudler

• Max Dudler can be positioned in line with Oswald Mathias Ungers and Josef Paul Kleihues.

• He is known for combining strict minimalism with classical rationalism.

• He founded Max Dudler Architekten, with offices across major European cities.

Max Dudler – Grimm Centre

• Max Dudler’s Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Centre in Berlin (2006–09) reflects his strict, rational style.

• The building has a strong, ordered façade with arcades at ground level and regular openings, all clad in marble.

• It is composed of two connected volumes, one respecting height limits and the other rising higher to express its public role.

• The entrance leads to a large foyer and then to a central reading room arranged in stepped, terrace-like levels.

• A skylight brings natural light into the space.

• Interiors are minimal, using white surfaces and cherry wood to create a warm but restrained atmosphere.

Emilio Tuñón

• Emilio Tuñón Álvarez represents the continued influence of Neo-Rationalism in contemporary architecture.

• He is a Spanish architect and professor known for major cultural projects.

• His work has received important awards, including the Mies van der Rohe Award and the Spanish National Architecture Prize.

Tuñón – Helga de Alvear Museum

• Emilio Tuñón Álvarez’s Museum of Contemporary Art Helga de Alvear in Cáceres (2014–20) reflects Neo-Rationalist principles in a restrained, classical style.

• The building sits within a historic context, adjoining Casa Grande and the old city walls.

• It is composed as a simple geometric volume connected to the existing structure.

• A colonnade of white concrete columns wraps the façade, creating a regular and ordered pattern.

• The upper level opens into a frame enclosing a roof terrace.

• Interiors are minimal and neutral, with light emphasizing materials, contrasted by wood details.