Counting among the key works by Stuttgart-based wulf architekten, founded in 1987, are well-publicized projects such as the Adidas Factory Outlet in Herzogenaurach (2003), the Stuttgart convention center (2007), the Landshut State Finance Department (2011), and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn (projected completion in 2016). These projects are particularly exemplary of their ongoing engagement in the dialogue between interior and exterior space. Not only do they address issues of fundamental spatial interaction, but also the potential of reciprocal influence, which is the basis for advanced concepts of space.
With their exhibition “Between Interior and Exterior” wulf architekten apply this conceptual approach to the gallery space. Photographic reproductions of the gallery’s façade are mounted across the length of the back wall, blurring the line between inside and outside. The view into the gallery becomes a trompe l’oeil, teasing the eyes in their perception of the scene as the interior and exterior appear to constantly change places. Walls that recede, allowing the exterior space to move inwards, and inner spaces that extend outwards is an approach that draws inspiration from Aldo van Eyck and Herman Hertzberger.
Presented for discovery as if on a laboratory bench, 15 projects address this interchange between apparently oppositional spaces in various ways. The broad spectrum of solutions illuminates diverse approaches to questions such as: Where is the overlap between interior and exterior? What identity is borne by the in-between when there is no distinct inside or outside? How can these thresholds be articulated?
Accompanying the exhibition is the monograph “wulf architekten – Rhythm and Melody”, published in 2014 by Niggli Verlag. Hubertus Adam writes in it: “Beyond their spectacular iconicity, discrete restraint and contextual approach, wulf architekten pursue an architectural concept that is driven by their search for the appropriate response.” This spirit is also conveyed by the exhibition.
