25.06.2026

“The concept of stopping is foreign to me”

Building design

Martin Rein-Cano at the world premiere of the film “The World in a Square.” Photo: Eva Luise Hoppe

Berlin, 1996: Martin Rein-Cano founded Topotek 1. Lorenz Drexler joined as an equal partner in 1999, and together with Dan Budik, the three men founded Topotek 1 Architektur in 2017. Carsten Schmidt has been an associate partner at Topotek 1 since 2021. Today, in Berlin in 2026, Topotek 1 is celebrating its 30th anniversary—in true Topotek 1 style, with a film of its “own.” With “THE WORLD IN A SQUARE – Intrinsically Topotek 1” by filmmakers Bêka & Lemoine. The world premiere took place on April 23. We spoke with Martin Rein-Cano.

Questions: Theresa Ramisch

Martin Rein-Cano, Topotek 1 turns 30. Congratulations. You founded the firm at the age of 29. Was that crazy, or the best decision ever?

Neither—or both. The situation in Berlin in 1996 was very unique. At that time, the city was still in a sort of limbo following the fall of the Berlin Wall—spaces and opportunities were wide open, and the barriers to entry were low: Berlin was a bit like a giant playground. We were able to start a firm without much money, and without a potential failure having serious consequences. It felt more like “playing around” with the firm than making a serious decision to start a business. Maybe that was exactly what made it work. Another crucial factor was having the right partner: Lorenz Dexler and I brought different energies to the table, which came together in a city and at a moment that practically invited us to experiment.

What have been your firm’s biggest challenges over the past 30 years?

The real challenge is the ongoing battle against banality. How do you manage, time and again, to find what’s truly special—what’s specifically tailored—without reproducing the repetitive? This challenge arises time and again. Added to this is the demand to consistently deliver high-quality work—both personally and as a team—despite all the shortcomings we bring to the table—and despite everything reality throws our way. And last but not least, there’s the challenge of dealing with disillusionment and frustration. The ideas behind nine out of ten competitions we enter—and into which we pour our heart and soul—are not pursued further.

And: What were the biggest highlights?

I think the best-known projects speak for themselves. Looking back over the past three decades, I’ve noticed that perhaps two or three truly outstanding projects come to fruition each decade. The rest are good, some very good—but the truly outstanding and extraordinary are rare. This illustrates just how complex and difficult it is to bring something truly special to life through the long process—from the competition through planning to the completed project. Some potential highlights are certainly among the lost competitions as well.

You’re celebrating the firm’s 30th anniversary with the film “The World in A Square.” We know, of course, that at Topotek 1 and for you personally, the artistic vein is constantly pulsing. But why a film, specifically?

To mark the anniversaries of the first two decades, we published a monograph for each—after ten years, *Paradise Remix*, edited by Kristin Freireiss, and after twenty years, *Creative Infidelities*, edited by Barbara Steiner. Both publications summarize the key projects of their respective decades and place them in relation to one another. For the thirtieth year, we wanted a different format: not a retrospective, but a deeper exploration of a few select projects. What are the actual, existing qualities of these places—not in terms of their media portrayal, but in their real-world development? What has become of these spaces? What uses were we able to initiate, which ones did the users themselves introduce—and what connection do people have to these places? In Bêka & Lemoine, we’ve found a magnificent filmmaking duo who are extraordinarily sensitive to the realities of places, who precisely capture conditions and living situations, and who have created an impressive body of cinematic work.

Superkilen is one of the central locations in the film and, for many, your firm’s best-known project. Thinking about all the other Topotek 1 projects—which one do you consider the best, regardless of its “public” success?

Our work is created for and within public space—and the public’s response is an inherent part of the projects. When a project receives attention, it’s usually justified, because quality and depth simply generate more resonance. What interests me more than rankings is the poetry of the process itself—and how much the true quality of a project unfolds over time and through use, becoming truly visible.

You’ll turn 60 next year. Are you already thinking about retiring?

We live in an age of increasing permeability: between generations, ways of life, places, and professions; between work and leisure. The concept of “retirement” is foreign to me; it’s hard to pinpoint a defined beginning and end to one’s creative work. The end of my working life is not something that concerns me.

What can we look forward to at Topotek 1 in the coming years? What goals are you, your partners, and your team pursuing? What is currently driving you all forward?

In keeping with the fluid boundaries I just mentioned, our firm has been moving beyond the boundaries of landscape architecture for several years now and is now also working on building construction projects. Two major projects that emerged from successful competition entries are already in an advanced stage of planning: the new building for the Offenbach University of Art and Design and a new school building in Biel, Switzerland—a timber structure that is already under construction. At the same time, we’re working on a complex, multifaceted project in Manosque, France—which also emerged from a competition we won and for which our firm is responsible across all three disciplines: urban planning, architecture, and landscape architecture; a project we are very excited about. Whether the expansion of our scope of work will prove successful or lead to a loss of focus remains to be seen in the projects themselves. In any case, the willingness to expand our own field and constantly rethink our approach is a constant driving force in our work.

Auftakt des Jubiläumsabends von TOPOTEK 1 im Kino International – Gäste treffen ein und stimmen sich auf die Premiere ein, Foto: Eva Luise Hoppe — Kickoff of TOPOTEK 1’s anniversary evening at Kino International—guests arrive and get in the mood for the premiere, Photo: Eva Luise Hoppe

Volles Haus zur Vorpremiere von „The World in a Square – Intrinsically TOPOTEK 1“ am 23. April 2026 in Berlin, Foto: Eva Luise Hoppe — A full house for the preview screening of “The World in a Square – Intrinsically TOPOTEK 1” on April 23, 2026, in Berlin; photo: Eva Luise Hoppe

Einführung in den Abend: Begrüßung und erste Worte von Frau Dr. Brigitte Franzen, Direktorin des Bauhaus Archivs, zur Bedeutung von 30 Jahren Praxis und Experiment, Foto: Eva Luise Hoppe — Introduction to the evening: Welcome and opening remarks by Dr. Brigitte Franzen, Director of the Bauhaus Archive, on the significance of 30 years of practice and experimentation, Photo: Eva Luise Hoppe

Der Film reflektiert 30 Jahre Arbeit von TOPOTEK 1 und fragt nach der Rolle von Gestaltung im sozialen Miteinander, Foto: Eva Luise Hoppe — The film reflects on 30 years of work by TOPOTEK 1 and explores the role of design in social interaction, Photo: Eva Luise Hoppe

Podiumsgespräch nach der Vorführung mit den Filmemacher*innen und Gästen zur Wirkung von Architektur und Landschaft, Foto: Eva Luise Hoppe — Panel discussion following the screening with the filmmakers and guests on the impact of architecture and landscape, Photo: Eva Luise Hoppe

Ausklang des Abends: Gespräche und Austausch beim Empfang – ein gemeinsamer Blick zurück und nach vorn, Foto: Topotek 1 — The evening’s conclusion: conversations and exchanges at the reception—a shared look back and forward, Photo: Topotek 1

Full house at Kino International

Berlin, April 23, 2026: The celebration marking TOPOTEK 1’s 30th anniversary began with the preview screening of the film “The World in a Square – Intrinsically TOPOTEK 1” at Kino International in Berlin. The film by Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine uses Superkilen Park in Nørrebro as its central setting and also features other projects to provide insight into TOPOTEK 1’s work over three decades.

The film centers on the question of how public space and society interact. Through the stories of five very different individuals, it becomes clear how issues such as migration, religion, and politics shape life in the park. This paints a picture of a diverse place where encounters—but also tensions—arise—much like a village square where the world comes together.

The film reflects on how design can influence how people live together. It shows that public space is not only designed but also shapes social relationships and facilitates exchange, change, and a sense of belonging.

The evening itself consisted of opening remarks, a film screening, and a subsequent discussion with the filmmakers and participants, followed by a reception. Overall, the event marked the kickoff of an anniversary year that reflects on the work and ideas of TOPOTEK 1 over the past 30 years.

The film will be screened at two additional locations, namely:

Copenhagen Architecture Forum, September 2, 2026, 5:00–7:00 p.m.; the screening will be accompanied by a panel discussion with Ila Bêka, Louise Lemoine, Martin Rein-Cano, Bjarke Ingels, and the artist collective Superflex. For more information, please follow this link.

Zurich Architecture Forum, September 4, 2026, starting at 6:00 p.m., followed by a panel discussion with Christian Inderbitzin (EMI Architects), Martin Rein-Cano, and Dan Budik (Topotek 1). For more information, click this link.

20.01.2025

Design

Sculpture of the month: Stone postcard from Solingen

Building design

Bush knife: The Solingen cutting tool turned stone on the right by the hedge. On the left, an unnamed steel sculpture by Thomas Röthel

Steel products from Solingen, especially knives, are known all over the world. Even in the South American jungle, Bud Spencer warned his partner Terence Hill of a “postcard from Solingen” in his back – i.e. the switchblade in the hand of the sneaking attacker – in the 1973 cinema classic “Two Heavenly Dogs on the Road to Hell”. For the tenth anniversary […]

Steel products from Solingen, especially knives, are known all over the world. Even in the South American jungle, Bud Spencer warned his partner Terence Hill of a “postcard from Solingen” in his back – i.e. the switchblade in the hand of the sneaking attacker – in the 1973 cinema classic “Two Heavenly Dogs on the Road to Hell”. To mark the tenth anniversary of the Solingen Fair (June 8 & 9, 2018), a local natural stone company has now created an oversized stone knife.

The Solingen trade fair focuses on the products of local industry, in the classic city of blades, of course, especially the well-known steel products. Directly opposite the venue of this largest trade fair in the Bergisches Land region – the local ice rink – is the premises of Marmor Pauly, which has been working in natural stone since 1871. “A knife doesn’t always have to be made of steel,” thought owner Armin B. Pauly, architect and graduate civil engineer.

And it doesn’t have to be handy either: together with the self-employed stone sculptor Hartmut Hegener, he created a butter knife sculpture on a scale of 10:1 to place in front of the entrance to the trade fair and point out that, in addition to the proud steel tradition, there are also many years of stone masonry activity. The knife measures 2.30 meters with a handle made of polished Anröchter Grünstein, a calcareous sandstone from the Soest region. The finely ground blade made of “Belgian granite”, the Belgian equivalent of Aachen bluestone, was made with ground-in fiberglass reinforcement. The contrast between the darker blade and the lighter handle is enhanced by the different cut, which makes the Belgian bluestone appear particularly dark. For installation, the artwork was anchored on a base stone made of black Swedish in the area of the main entrance.

Art exhibition flanked the trade fair

Because Pauly is a cosmopolitan, art-loving person and the “knife made of natural stone” contains a wink at other materials, an art exhibition with a wide variety of materials was held on his factory premises opposite the trade fair from June 8 – 10, 2018 – in addition to works by sculptors and painters, including steel sculptures by Thomas Röthel and Stephan Mensler. This created a bridge between materials and street sides.

After the event ended, however, the city of Solingen showed no interest in keeping the potential postcard motif in front of the ice rink – so the monstrous knife will soon find a new home with a well-known steelware manufacturer.

12.01.2025

Design

Museum of 1000 Places

Building design

Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany has been commissioning art in architecture for its buildings in Germany and abroad since 1950. Over the decades, around 10,000 works have been created. Natural stone works are also included. Now the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) is making the works of art digitally accessible – via the online platform “Museum of 1000 Places”. In conversation with Dr. Ute […]

The Federal Republic of Germany has been commissioning art in architecture for its buildings in Germany and abroad since 1950. Over the decades, around 10,000 works have been created. Natural stone works are also included. Now the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) is making the works of art digitally accessible – via the online platform “Museum of 1000 Places”. In conversation with Dr. Ute Chibidziura, consultant for art in construction at the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning, about the ambitious project.

Ute Chibidziura: It’s an online presentation for the federal government’s art in construction. In other words, art that is created in connection with construction projects. Since 1950, art in construction has been realized in federal buildings, so that over the years an internationally unique stock of post-war art has been created, which includes the works of many well-known artists in all genres and techniques. We wanted to present this collection of art, which is spread across hundreds of properties in Germany and abroad, in a bundled form.

Many works of art are not accessible to the public …

One peculiarity of art in architecture is that it is tied to the building and is realized in places that are only accessible to a few people for security reasons or, like embassies, are in geographically remote locations. As a result, there are numerous works of art that are little known or have fallen out of sight over the years. With the “Museum of 1000 Places”, we can bring them back into the public eye and make them accessible to the general public.

Why in the form of a virtual collection?

The collection comprises around 10,000 works of art in total. We couldn’t present them in an illustrated book or in an exhibition – that would go beyond any organizational and personnel framework. The “Museum of 1000 Places”, on the other hand, is structured in such a way that works of art can be added bit by bit and the museum grows continuously. In addition, changes can be made to the content at any time. Art in architecture would be difficult to show in a traditional exhibition anyway, because in order to illustrate its location in the spatial context, you would have to build a model of each room or building and prepare picture galleries and texts for it, which would mean an enormous amount of work for just a few examples. Another advantage of a virtual exhibition is that it is not tied to a specific location, but can be viewed from home via the Internet.

How does the digital museum visitor navigate through the site?

There are several ways to access the art: an intuitive one via the images of the artworks on the homepage, a systematic one via the artworks, artists or locations tabs and one via the free text search. Within the artworks, you can sort by technique or context of use.

What information can you find when you call up a work of art?

You will find detailed information about the artwork in its architectural context, about the building and the property, and of course about the artist. It explains the artist’s career, the focus of their work and where else they have realized art on buildings. All information and photos relating to a work of art are stored in the form of a PDF that can be downloaded.

How does the virtual museum build a bridge to the physical world?

The museum indicates whether a work of art is freely accessible or at least open to the public, so that you can also view Kunst am Bau as part of a Sunday stroll. In addition, all works of art will gradually be equipped with a QR code that can be used to link to the “Museum of 1000 Places” to obtain detailed information about the work of art.

Which works of art are made of natural stone?

One important example is the “Rising Phoenix” by Hannes Schulz-Tattenpach on the Old House of Representatives in Bonn. This work of art made of limestone was the first work to be selected and commissioned after the Second World War as part of an open art-in-architecture competition. The phoenix rising from the ashes was intended to refer to the situation of the Federal Republic of Germany at the time, which had to reorganize itself as a democratic state after the war. The motif was still considered so apt in 1974 that it was used as a stamp on a special postcard issued by Deutsche Post to mark the 25th anniversary of the Federal Republic.

You can take a look at the database here: www.museum-der-1000-orte.de.