The artist Gerhard Richter turned 90 and his last major work was the large choir windows in the Benedictine Abbey of Tholey in Saarland, a kaleidoscope full of color and shapes.

Gerhard Richter is considered the most influential contemporary artist. On February 9, 2022, the painter celebrated his 90th birthday. Our heartfelt congratulations! As his last major work, the Dresden-born artist created a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes with the large choir windows in the Benedictine Abbey of Tholey in Saarland. Gerhard Richter considers his oeuvre to be complete with this work. The Gerhard Richter Archive in Dresden sees itself as a center for research, documentation and communication about the artist’s work. Qualified conservator Kathleen Hohenstein has been working there for the works of Gerhard Richter at the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden since 2017

Gerhard Richter’s art is much sought-after. Born in Dresden, he is considered to be the most highly paid living painter in the world. According to the “Art Compass” ranking of the top 100 contemporary artists (compiled annually by Linde Rohr-Bongard from Cologne and published in “Capital” magazine, Berlin) – which has been identifying the most important contemporary artists worldwide for 50 years, measured by their resonance in the international art world (exhibitions, reviews in specialist magazines, purchases by museums and awards, no sales revenue) – Gerhard Richter has held the top position for 18 years. He is followed by artists such as Bruce Nauman, Georg Baselitz, Rosemarie Trockel, Cindy Sherman, Olafur Eliasson, Tony Cragg, Anselm Kiefer and William Kentridge.

The choir windows designed by Gerhard Richter in the Benedictine Abbey of Tholey in Saarland are a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. They were unveiled at the end of September 2020. The artist considers his oeuvre to be complete with the three stained glass windows, each measuring 1.95 by 9.30 meters.

The motifs on the large choir windows come from his artist’s book “Patterns”, which he developed by repeatedly dividing and mirroring them.

The traditional Munich glass workshops Gustav van Treeck produced the windows. The request came from Tholey in 2018. This was not Gerhard Richter’s first commission for a Catholic church. The artist has already designed the south transept window for Cologne Cathedral, which was inaugurated in 2007 and became a magnet for visitors. Incidentally, Richter donated his art to the Benedictine Abbey of St. Mauritius in Tholey.

The Gerhard Richter Archive in Dresden

The Gerhard Richter Archive in Dresden sees itself as a center for research, documentation and communication about the work of the artist, who was born in Dresden in 1932. It collects all books, catalogs, magazine and newspaper articles, photographs and digital media that contain relevant information and articles about Gerhard Richter and his work. The archive currently holds 278 works of art, 70,242 original documents, correspondence, books, catalogs, magazines, articles and ephemera as well as 27,900 documentary photographs. The archive also holds editions and artist’s books by Gerhard Richter. The archive’s holdings are also continually being added to and updated. The archive conducts its own research and makes the archive materials available for research and third-party research by arrangement.

Conservation measures for the work of Gerhard Richter

Dietmar Elger is the artist’s biographer and director of the Gerhard Richter Archive in Dresden (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, SKD). Qualified conservator Kathleen Hohenstein is responsible for all conservation tasks there, including regular condition checks of the artworks in the archive and in the Albertinum collection. “I support preventive conservation measures,” explains the expert in an interview with our sister magazine RESTAURO. Kathleen Hohenstein has been working for the works by Gerhard Richter at the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden since 2017. “As part of the loan process, I draw up the condition reports or sometimes accompany couriers. When setting up exhibitions, it is sometimes necessary to advise the team on hanging fixtures and securing paintings.”

Some oil paints are sensitive to moisture

Kathleen Hohenstein also reports that some oil paints react sensitively to moisture or are water-soluble. “A particular challenge is checking and observing the sensitive, unvarnished surfaces of the paintings and documenting changes, such as the first cracks in the paint layer. In the paintings based on photographs, there are sometimes strong differences between glossy and matt areas (white and gray/black).”

Four anniversary exhibitions

Four major exhibitions are also being held to mark the 90th anniversary: At the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden until May 1, 2022, the show “Gerhard Richter. Portraits. Glass. Abstractions” can be seen until May 1, 2022. The Museum Ludwig in Cologne is also presenting its collection of works by Gerhard Richter until May 1. The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf is presenting the artist’s Birkenau cycle from 2014 (until April 24). The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin is also presenting his artist’s books for the first time until May 29, 2022.

You can also see an insight into the workshops of Munich glassworks Gustav van Treeck in Munich and Tholey Abbey in Saarland in the video:

Reading tip: Magdalena Bushart and Gregor Wedekind look at the grey paintings – including those by Gerhard Richter – in their publication “Die Farbe Grau” (Munich 2016). Read more here.

You might also be interested in this: Gerhard Richter is fascinated by glass as a material. Read more about his artworks here.

Digital rituals have long been more than just a quick scroll on a smartphone or a meeting in the Metaverse. They have a deep impact on architecture and urban planning – and demand spaces that grow, think and shape with us. But what does a space for digital rituals actually look like? Who designs it, who programs it, who understands it? Welcome to the age in which the floor plan is no longer just cast from concrete, but knitted from data – and in which architecture is building the stage for a new everyday culture.

• Digital rituals are shaping new requirements for spatial design in architecture, urban planning and the real estate industry.
• The transformation ranges from the smart city to the hybrid workplace – and calls for flexible, networked spatial concepts.
• Germany, Austria and Switzerland are experiencing a cautious but steady opening up to digital spatial formats – at different speeds and with different levels of resistance.
• Innovations such as mixed reality, sensory environments and AI-controlled interaction surfaces are fundamentally changing the concept of “space”.
• Sustainability and digitalization are not opposites, they are interdependent: climate neutrality requires smart control and adaptive use.
• Architecture must deal with new skills: Data analysis, usability, coding, ethical responsibility.
• Critical voices warn against over-engineering, data dependency and digital exclusion.
• Global discourses are setting standards: Asia as a driver of innovation, Europe as a seeker, North America as a platform pioneer.
• The future of architecture does not lie in either-or, but in the dialog between physical and digital space – and thus in the design of new digital rituals.

Digital rituals – what does this mean for space?

Spaces for digital rituals are no longer dreams of the future, but have long been part of everyday life – even if they are not yet to be found in every development plan or investor pitch. Digital rituals are the recurring actions that are grouped around digital tools, platforms and networks: the daily remote meeting in the home office, the spontaneous gaming session in the city park, following political debates in the livestream or virtual interaction with neighbors via the neighborhood platform. All of these practices require new spatial qualities. The classic conference room with a projector is no longer sufficient if hybrid teams from all over the world want to work together in real time. The library of the future is not a book hall, but a sensor hub with a digital guidance system and flexible usage islands in which every workflow finds its place. The urban space itself is transformed into an interface in which analog and digital levels merge. Architecture is faced with the challenge of designing spaces in such a way that they become not only physical but also digital resonance spaces. This calls for new design strategies, new materials, new ways of thinking – and ultimately for a radical update of the profession itself.

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, developments are at different stages. While the first districts in Zurich and Vienna are already experimenting with digital infrastructure – for example with networked neighborhood platforms, sensor-controlled workplaces or AI-supported lighting systems – many cities have yet to make the big leap. The reasons are well known: Skepticism towards technical overload, data protection concerns, a lack of standards and, last but not least, a building culture that focuses on preservation rather than disruption. However, the demand for new space solutions is growing. Employers are demanding hybrid working environments, local authorities are looking for tools for digital citizen participation and cultural professionals are experimenting with immersive installations. The pandemic has massively accelerated this trend – and has finally blurred the boundaries between analog and digital.

Digital rituals are also raising the question of community anew. While the marketplace or foyer used to be considered central places of exchange, digital meeting places are now emerging to complement or even replace physical spaces. This has consequences for the design: spaces need to be more flexible, more adaptable and more geared towards different uses. Acoustics, lighting, media integration, furnishings – everything becomes part of a digital ecosystem that allows for constant change. Anyone planning spaces today has to think about the digital choreography at the same time: How do people move between online and offline? What interfaces do they need? How can quality of stay and digital infrastructure be combined in the smallest of spaces?

But that’s not all: architecture must also deal with the dark side of digital rituals. What does it mean when spaces are constantly monitored, evaluated and optimized? Where is the right to retreat, to be unavailable, to analog silence? The fear of the “transparent space” is justified – and calls for new rules, privacy by design and an architecture that does not degrade people to data points. This is uncomfortable, but necessary if digital rituals are not to become the dictatorship of algorithms.

The final conclusion is that spaces for digital rituals are not a technical gimmick, but a central theme of building culture. They will determine how we work, learn, celebrate, argue and live together in the future. Anyone who ignores this is planning without society in mind. Those who understand it can take architecture to the next level – and perhaps even invent a new form of urbanity.

Technological innovations – how digital will the space become?

The technical innovations that are shaping spaces for digital rituals go far beyond WLAN and power sockets. Sensors, actuators, real-time data, AI algorithms, cloud infrastructures, mixed reality technologies – these are no longer dreams of the future, but part of modern spatial planning. In Switzerland, for example, public buildings are increasingly being equipped with sensors that not only measure energy flows, but also record usage data, control the indoor climate and even automatically adjust occupancy plans. In Vienna, experimental spaces are being created in which users can use apps to adapt the atmosphere, lighting and acoustics to their individual workflow. In Germany, on the other hand, the fear of complexity still often dominates – and the call for standards, data protection and technical traceability.

Mixed reality, i.e. the merging of physical and digital space, opens up completely new possibilities. Today, architects can not only design the floor plan, but also program digital layers that change the space depending on the usage scenario. A meeting room becomes a stage for a virtual panel, the classroom is transformed into an immersive learning environment, the foyer becomes an interactive gallery. AI-supported systems analyze movement patterns, lighting conditions and even moods – and adapt the room automatically. It sounds like science fiction, but it has long been a reality in pilot projects around the world.

But the pressure to innovate is high. Those who do not keep pace will be left behind. In Asia, entire districts are being created that are optimized for digital rituals from the outset – with 5G infrastructure, digital citizen services and platform solutions that turn every physical space into an interface. North America is focusing on platform economics and open standards that enable rapid scaling. Europe, especially the DACH region, is still looking for the right path between data protection, user-friendliness and sustainable development. The danger: those who hesitate too long will be overrun by global standards – and will only play second fiddle in digital urban development.

For planners, this means that technical knowledge is becoming a key skill. Anyone designing spaces today must not only read floor plans, but also understand data flows, interfaces and algorithms. This calls for new training, interdisciplinary teams and collaboration with IT, psychology and sociology. Architecture is becoming a hybrid professional field – and the traditional designer is becoming a curator of digital ecosystems.

However, the biggest challenge remains integration. How can technical systems be integrated in such a way that they support rather than dominate? How can the space become an enabler of digital rituals – without submitting to the dictates of technology? This calls for clever interfaces, modular systems, open platforms and an architecture that sees technology as a tool, not an end in itself. This is the only way to make the leap from gimmick to genuine innovation.

Sustainability and digital rituals – contradiction or win-win?

Anyone who believes that digitalization and sustainability are opposites has not taken current realities into account. Rooms for digital rituals can – if designed correctly – make a massive contribution to conserving resources. Smart control systems optimize energy consumption, adaptive lighting saves electricity and flexible room concepts reduce space requirements. In Zurich, for example, digital booking systems make better use of office space, minimize vacancies and thus reduce the ecological footprint. In Vienna, sensors control the ventilation in libraries as required – this saves energy and improves the indoor climate. But here too, technology is only as good as its use. Those who rely on monitoring, continuous operation and a hunger for data create new problems – from electronic waste to data protection dilemmas.

Sustainability is much more than just energy efficiency. It is also about social sustainability, participation and the question of how digital rituals can improve access to education, work and community. A hybrid workplace can reduce commuting distances and thus save CO₂ – provided the digital infrastructure is stable, accessible and secure. Digital citizen participation can accelerate democratic processes, create transparency and increase acceptance. At the same time, there is a risk that new digital rituals will deepen social divisions: Those who do not have access to digital tools are left out. This is where architecture is called upon to create spaces that enable inclusion – through open interfaces, barrier-free systems and flexible usage concepts.

The question of materials also plays a role. Digital spaces require new hardware, displays, servers and sensors. This creates ecological challenges, from resource consumption to waste generation. The trend is therefore towards modular, repairable systems, durable equipment and the integration of the circular economy into planning. Anyone planning a hybrid office today should not only think about the next LAN party, but also about repairability, upgradability and recycling. Architecture can be a pioneer here – if it is prepared to question old routines.

Another aspect is resilience. Digital rituals are sensitive to outages, hacker attacks and data loss. Sustainable planning therefore means planning for redundancies, having analog emergency solutions available and regularly reviewing the digital infrastructure. In Switzerland, for example, server rooms in public buildings are designed in such a way that they remain functional even in the event of a power failure. In Germany, emergency plans for digital infrastructures are often still incomplete – a risk that should not be underestimated in view of increasing cyber threats.

In the end, it becomes clear that sustainability and digitalization are not a contradiction, but a challenge that requires new ways of thinking. Anyone planning spaces for digital rituals must consider ecological, social and technical aspects together. Only then will spaces be created that are fit for the future – and not just on paper, but in real life.

Architecture and digital rituals – a professional field in transition

The integration of digital rituals into interior design is radically turning the profession of architect on its head. Traditional design skills are no longer enough. What is needed is an understanding of data architecture, usability, interface management and even ethical issues. In Switzerland and Austria, the first degree courses are emerging that systematically combine architecture and digitalization. In Germany, on the other hand, traditional training still often dominates – with occasional excursions into the digital world. This will not be enough in the long term. Anyone who doesn’t learn to talk to developers, data analysts and UX designers today will be left out.

The role of the architect is shifting: from designer to moderator, from creator to curator of digital scenarios. Planning processes are becoming more agile, interdisciplinary and data-driven. Digital twins, simulation tools and AI-supported planning are no longer a gimmick, but part of everyday professional life. If you want to design spaces for digital rituals, you need to analyze user needs early on, understand data flows and anticipate technological developments. This calls for new methods – from design thinking to rapid prototyping, from participation to coding.

At the same time, new ethical questions arise. Who decides which digital rituals are given space – and which are not? What data is collected, how is it used, how is privacy maintained? Architecture must deal with questions of digital responsibility, develop standards for transparency and fairness and critically monitor technological developments. This is uncomfortable, but necessary in order to create a digital architecture that is more than just a stage for the tech industry.

The debate about digital rituals is part of a global discourse. While digital platforms and smart districts are celebrated as an opportunity for innovation and efficiency in Asia, there is skepticism about surveillance, data misuse and social control in Europe. The USA is focusing on platforms and user experience, while Europe is struggling with data protection and the common good. For architecture, this means observing global trends, developing local solutions and always keeping an eye on the big picture.

In the end, the question remains: will architecture become a service provider for digitalization – or its critical companion? The answer will determine whether spaces for digital rituals become an enrichment – or a gateway to new dependencies. The time to decide is now.

Conclusion: Spaces for digital rituals – between space of opportunity and loss of control

Spaces for digital rituals are not a fad, but an expression of profound change. They demand new skills, new alliances and, above all, a new self-image from architecture. Those who think of spaces only as a shell are missing the opportunity to actively shape the digital transformation. Those who see technology as a tool can enable new forms of living, working and learning together – and combine sustainability, participation and innovation in the process. The challenges are enormous: data protection, sustainability, inclusion, resilience. But so are the opportunities. It’s about understanding space as a space of opportunity – not as an instrument of control. The future of architecture will not be decided on the drawing board, but in a dialog between people, space and digital practice. Those who seek this dialog will help shape the architecture of tomorrow. Those who shy away from it will be overtaken by it.