21.01.2025

Erich Mendelsohn Prize to be awarded for the sixth time in 2023

Building design

Clinker brick

The Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts in Lausanne is one of the projects that won the Erich Mendelsohn Prize in 2020. Photo: Simon Menges

Every three years, the Erich Mendelsohn Prize is awarded to the most architecturally valuable brick-related projects. The sixth edition of the competition, which was first held in 2008, will take place in 2023.

More than 600 international brick projects from over 30 countries were submitted for the last edition of the competition for brick architecture organized by the “Initiative Bauen mit Backstein – Zweischalige Wand Marketing e. V.” in 2020. The prize, named after the architect Erich Mendelsohn, offers the winning projects a total prize money of 10,000 euros. Buildings can be submitted “whose planning claim combines economic, ecological and aesthetic aspects and whose architecture is characterized by an appropriate treatment of the site and its existing buildings”.

Naturally, brick is the overarching and central theme. As a prerequisite for participation, the projects submitted must have a façade made of brick. Suitable projects can be submitted from January 9, 2023. The participation fee is 197 euros. However, early birds who submit before March 2023 will be charged a reduced participation fee of 159 euros. The registration deadline is April 30, 2023, and projects submitted in the “Newcomer” category are exempt from the fee. The following categories are available for submissions:

Single-family house / semi-detached houses
Residential construction/storey residential construction
Office and commercial buildings
Public buildings, leisure and sport

Awards will also be presented in the areas of refurbishment, sustainability and energy efficiency. There is also a special prize, the Newcomer Award, for young talent in the world of brick architecture.

Projects that have been completed since January 1, 2018 can be submitted for the Erich Mendelsohn Award. Projects already submitted to the previous competition in 2020 can also be submitted again in 2023, provided they have not yet been nominated. The award ceremony will take place in fall 2023.

At the last award ceremony in 2020, two projects – the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the Nakasone House in Mexico City – shared the Grand Prix of the Erich Mendelsohn Competition.

Erich Mendelsohn was one of the most important architects of the 20th century. One of his most famous buildings is the Einstein Tower in Potsdam. Projects such as the Woga complex in Berlin or the former hat factory in Luckenwalde demonstrate Mendelsohn’s innovative use of brick.

Is this the first time you have read about the Erich Mendelsohn Prize? There’s a reason for that! Until now, the award for brick was known as the Fritz Höger Prize. A new investigation ultimately revealed the racist-nationalist world view of the architect who gave the award its name, Fritz Höger. Hence: the new name for the Fritz Höger Prize is the Erich Mendelsohn Prize.

More information on the Erich Mendelsohn Prize, the prize for outstanding brick architecture, can be found on the organizer’s website.

By the way: The May 2022 issue of Baumeister will be all about brick, clinker and co.

17.01.2025

Make it better

Building design

Willy Hafner’s last attempt: do it better! The craftsman has a chance if he masters his craft; with his hands, mind and passion.

What can I write after 30 years? Good form as decency, as former German President Theodor Heuss put it back in 1956, still hasn’t won us over; neither in the stonemasonry trade nor in furniture stores. Quite the opposite! The shapes follow what is fun, the slabs are polished smooth on the surface and many new houses just pretend to be old castles; in Berlin and elsewhere.

Natural stone has become a trend product. Niche, that was once. The “everyday world of stone” is full of opportunities. Many want to profit from the boom in natural STEIN. Craftsmen beware that others will not be back in the business of beautiful STEIN tomorrow. It’s not what you do with it that counts. It depends on who makes something out of it.

Until a few years ago, craftsmanship was considered dusty and backward-looking. Today, craftsmanship always has a chance if it remains craftsmanship and the craftsman reflects the world in which his customers live. Customers today are looking for an application concept for their chosen material. The craftsman has a chance if he masters his craft; with his hand, with his mind and with passion. Master craftsman, that was once upon a time. The old master stands for reproducible, i.e. learnable knowledge. That is no longer enough! The master must become an expert. The expert sees the difference, the possible variations. Today, craftsmanship offers more opportunities than many people thought 30 years ago. Today, real craftsmanship often begins at the computer screen and ends in machine production. Technology makes the master. However, the demands on the products have remained the same. They have to convince your customers; in their form, in their function and in their price. Just as the Swabian Heuss once said. Communication and marketing are one thing, skills and their mastery are another.

By the way: This was a last attempt. Just do it better!

Willy Hafner on the craft and its potential in STEIN in January 2014.

Picture: Richard Watzke

25.11.2024

Product

Automatic sliding doors as an escape route

Building design

Passages that meet the requirements for accessibility, escape routes and fire protection are a challenge for planners. The manufacturer Hörmann offers the “AS30-X/FR” for this purpose.

A particular challenge for architects and planners are passageways that meet the requirements for accessibility, escape routes and fire protection and must also support a bright and glazed design. The manufacturer Hörmann offers the “AS30-X/FR”, a combination of the “AD 100-X” automatic sliding door and the “HE 321” fire door with T30 aluminum tubular frame elements.

In normal or daytime operation, the tubular frame elements are open and the automatic sliding door acts as an escape route. In emergency and night mode, the sliding door opens automatically and remains open. The tubular frame elements close automatically and prevent the spread of fire, but can be opened using the lever handle so that the passage can be used as an escape route in an emergency. The system also has burglar-resistant RC 2 equipment and insulates sound in the building.