Freiheits- und Einheitsdenkmal / Berlin

Einheits Denkmal is a design for a memorial for the German freedom process leading to re-unification in Berlin. The memorial traces vectors across a layered time-space continuum traversing the multi-layered and charged German history. Located at the center of the city the monument aims to educate and commemorate at the same time.

Einheits Denkmal differs from traditional monuments in the sense that it avoids metaphorical statements. It also critiques a younger phenomenon in monument design that seeks intellectual asylum in formal abstraction and fields. Instead, Einheits Denkmal aims to integrate its historical (and monumental) environment by registering vectors transcending imaginary historical strata in a highly dense urban setting. These vectors form a vortex of lines, a dynamic node in space and point to reveal historical connections. The monument is intended to be used and explored by literally walking through it. The monument invites the public to stroll amidst its glass branches and climb its stairs to gain particular look-outs. By this literal appropriation the structure the public becomes a part of the monument and contributes to an idea of production of culture and history. A similar effect has been described in the introverted balcony of the Altes Museum by Schinkel within sight of the projected monument. Einheits Denkmal aims to integrate and update this idea, expanding the production of public space through the monument from a bourgeois to a democratic audience.

Author: Aurel von Richthofen

Place: Berlin, Germany
Year: 2009
Size: –
Type: Competition
Client: Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Section through the monument atop the foundations of a former imperial monument

Berlin Mitte - the center of Berlin, a loaded site and context

View from Schlossbruecke towards the castle

Reconstruction projects of the former castle and Schinkel's Bauakademie

Tetra – City / House

The house of the future is a tetrahedron. In fact, it is a set of tetra- shaped rooms forming a little city of tetra-spaces that form a tetra-shaped house. Fractal in geometry, the ideal house can be applied as ideal city on a different scale. Recursive in time, a partial realization anticipates the future expansion.

Euro Marseille

The present cathedral of Marseille is an icon malgre-lui. Of no particular historical relevance it was built in the 1930s as prominent sign overlooking the harbor, dwarfing its surroundings. In order to re-frame and re-direct this sacral building, EuroMarseille utilizes an ancient concept of axial shifting. When a basilica became too small its central axis was simply shifted by 90 degrees around the choir.

Dubai Tensegrity Tower

Tensegrity Tower is a design for an iconic monument of 170 meters height in Dubai. Tensegrity Tower is the pure exhibition of structure. Calling for an iconic tower devoid of program the elevator company sponsored competition merely indicated a desired height of 170 meters.

Portfolio 2009-2013

This portfolio collects three lines of investigation explored simultaneously and mutually re-enforcing the work produced by aurelVR during 2009-2013: Research, Teaching and Practice. Research on urbanization in Oman and the Gulf marks a new field of investigation of design processes and spatial organization beyond form. Teaching expands in the same direction using digital tools to support design and research. The design part, finally, collects various projects done with aurelVR in Berlin and Oman.

Beyond Rendering, TU Berlin

Aurel speaks on the topic of architectural representation on the conference Beyond Rendering organized by Daniel Lordick at TU Berlin. Architectural representation had only recently moved towards image driven representation forms. The "parametric shift" indicates a tendency towards the text, more explicitly the script.