On November 7, 2023, the Heidelberg Palace Talks will take place for the 22nd time at Heidelberg Palace. Andrea Gebhard, President of the Federal Chamber of Architects, will talk about her own work and discuss the topic of the evening together with architectural botanist Prof. Ferdinand Ludwig (TU Munich) and Philip Haggeney from RMP Stephan Lenzen, the planners of BUGA-Mannheim: Can the transformation succeed?

On November 7, 2023, the Heidelberg Palace Talks will take place for the 22nd time at Heidelberg Palace. Andrea Gebhard, President of the Federal Chamber of Architects, will talk about her own work and discuss the topic of the evening together with architectural botanist Prof. Ferdinand Ludwig (TU Munich) and Philip Haggeney from RMP Stephan Lenzen, the planners of BUGA-Mannheim: Can the transformation succeed?

While the “Heidelberg Castle Talks” initiative began in 2011, the history of the event actually goes back to around 1900. Around 100 years ago, a kind of “spark” for the concept of monument preservation was created at Heidelberg Castle. At the time, the restoration of the ruined castle was the first time that the possibilities and limits of preservation, reconstruction and structural expansion were discussed throughout Germany. To this day, hardly any other place in Germany is so closely associated with the reflection of principles in dealing with historical ensembles. Heidelberg Castle as an event building is therefore no coincidence, but a long-standing tradition.

Although the venue has remained the same over the years, the Schlossgespräche now cover a much broader spectrum than back then. When visitors make the pilgrimage up to the castle’s King’s Hall twice a year, the focus is not only on “old and new” but also on density, home, building in other cultures, new housing or building turnaround topics such as sustainability, climate protection or energy-efficient construction. The talks will focus on the construction of the last few decades, whose developments, trends and findings will drive the construction of tomorrow. In addition, all of the institutions supporting the Schlossgespräche will host traditional and high-caliber “building talks”. The palace itself is also continuing this aspect of Heidelberg’s discussion culture. This time, the topic is transformation – or rather the question of whether it can succeed.

With an audience of 500-600, the Heidelberg Palace Talks are now one of the most renowned and best-attended regular architecture events in Germany. They aim to promote good urban planning and architecture with quality and make it easier to understand. The fascination that both topics hold should also be brought to life and made tangible through the events – especially in times when citizens are actively involved in urban development processes. The general public is addressed. After well-known architects have been introduced, their work presented and their views on current building issues discussed, there will be a joint discussion at the end in which questions from the audience will be answered and the main guests, experts and listeners will exchange ideas.

It becomes clear that public participation processes require a minimum level of information as well as an understanding of planning and architecture. This is another reason why the Heidelberg Palace Talks are intended to open up a dialog for all those interested in architecture: About the aesthetics of building and the joy of high-quality architecture. In particular, the State Property and Building Administration of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Heidelberg, as building owners, see themselves as role models for society when dealing with the cultural properties entrusted to them. Together with their project partners, the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects, the Association of German Architects and the SRH University of Applied Sciences, they make a significant contribution to the preservation of building culture.

The success story and documentation of the Heidelberg Castle Talks can be found on the website. So far, there are also two book volumes with the first ten talks, with more to follow. In 2018, an international exhibition project was also added. It consists of individual exhibition panels by the architects and architectural photographs by top international photographers. Event boards also document the event evenings in the Königsaal. Overall, the exhibition is constantly growing and changing: exciting new content is added with each Schlossgespräch.

The Heidelberg Palace Talks will take place on November 7, 2023 at 7 pm in the Königsaal. Admission is free.

The Greentech Festival took place in Berlin in July 2023. At this event, stakeholders from business, politics and society exchange views on sustainable topics. Everything about the event here.

In general, it can be said that design classics have a rather “simple” appearance: concise form, reduced materials, few colors. In other words, the opposite of “fashionable”. The formula sounds banal. Nevertheless, among the many minimalists on the furniture market, not every design immediately makes it into the classics league.

In general, it can be said that design classics have a rather “simple” appearance: concise form, reduced materials, few colors. In other words, the opposite of “fashionable”. The formula sounds banal. Nevertheless, among the many minimalists on the furniture market, not every design immediately makes it into the classics league.

One piece of furniture that has made it into the aforementioned league is the “Hardoy Butterfly Chair”, also known as the “Bat Chair” or “BKF Chair”. Its success (and the multitude of names) can be measured by the time it has been around: the design roots go back to the 19th century. The chair has therefore long been considered a classic. Let’s be clear: what makes a classic is that a) it has a more or less minimalist design and b) it has been around for many years.

Of course, the Butterfly Chair has changed again and again along the rungs of the career ladder. A first variant, or the predecessor of the design that finally achieved the so-called “breakthrough”, was a camping chair from the 1880s by James B. Fenby. At that time, the frame was still made of wood and steel – and was called “Tripola”. The advantages: the chair was stable and also easy to assemble and disassemble. Practical, in other words.

In 1938, the design was reinterpreted by the Argentinian office Austral Group, which also worked with Le Corbusier, among others. The employees of architects Antonio Bonet, Juan Kurchan and Jorge Ferrari Hardy used the chair to furnish their design for an apartment building in Buenos Aires – and called it “BKF”. After the first letters of their surnames. Shortly afterwards, the chair was presented at the third Salon de Artistas Decoradoresinterior design exhibition in Buenos Aires. It was “discovered” there and from then on was in the permanent exhibition of the New York MoMa and in Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Fallingwater”.

Sounds like a success story. And that’s probably what adds to the above factors a) and b) that make a classic: the story that the piece of furniture tells. And this can also include “career kinks” – as was the case with the Butterfly Chair: after Knoll Associates received the license for the design for their design line in 1947, the chair was frequently copied. Knoll sued unsuccessfully and discontinued production shortly afterwards.

And yet: the design has survived to this day. Weinbaum has held the rights since 2010. And they are now celebrating the 75th anniversary of MoMA with a special edition. With, who would have thought it, 75 pieces made of tobacco-colored cowhide cover and powder-coated stainless steel frame – in black, of course. Perhaps for quality reasons, but certainly also for sentimental reasons, the leather for the upholstery comes exclusively from Argentinian cattle. Presumably from happy ones.

Not a bad idea on Weinbaum’s part to promote the Butterfly Chair on the basis of quality and sustainability. After all, this strikes a chord with our times. And so it was with the “classic career” of the Butterfly Chair; in its success story, it was always in the right place at the right time, so to speak: As the Tripola, the chair was used for military camps because it was so easy to fold and yet stable. During the BKF phase, the chair came to the attention of Le Corbusier, who also worked with the Austral Group. And in the 1960s and 70s, the BKF Chair accompanied many hippies to festivals, for the same practical reasons as in the military: despite its low weight, it proved to be robust seating furniture.

The Butterfly Chair has therefore grown with the times – and not just in a figurative sense: today’s edition has grown in size, adapted to the human scale. Proportionally, of course. With the new old proportions and a focus on the material, the Butterfly Chair will certainly be playing in the classics league for some time to come.