1. Things have to be
beautiful - lobbying for
good architecture
Markus Rosenthal | Managing Director, nuances
Legislating Architecture, ARCH+ conference
Technische Universität Berlin, 20 March 2015

2. Loking back: Berlin of the 90´s and early 00‘s
was both paradise and hell for architects
Paradise
If you loved any material as long as it was stone
If you loved heights of 22.4 metres
If you loved § 34 of the Baugesetzbuch
If you had media friends
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3. Berlin of the 90´s and early 00‘s was both
paradise and hell for architects
Hell
If you liked any materials other than stone
If you believed in freedom of design
If you did not understand § 34 of Baugesetzbuch
If you had media friends
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4. The „Architekturdebatte“ Berlin caught the
interest of the general press
Why
Conflict between Politicians, Architects and Architects
The conflict was personalised: Hans Stimmann
(Undersecretary of State, City of Berlin), J.P. Kleihues, Hans
Kollhoff vs. Daniel Liebeskind, Richard Rogers, Renzo Piano,
etc.
The conflict was about things everybody understands, sees
and feels. Something to write good stories about: glass vs.
stone; skyscraper vs. Traufhöhe; past of the city vs. future
of the city; Berlin architects vs. international architects, us
and them, etc.
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5. Berlin – the Sonderweg
Rule-based Planning
§ 34
Micro-decision on building material – stone instead
of glass
Traufhöhe
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6. Berlin – the Sonderweg
Route of escape
Rant and rave about it (Richard Rogers)
Build something extraordinary (Wilford Stirling)
Or, just go a few inches above the Traufhöhe
(David Chipperfield)
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7. Berlin – Present-day
There is a high demand for flats
Creating a sustainable city is at the top on the
agenda
A new generation of politicians exists. They do not
simply ignore § 34
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8. The answer is… but what was the question?
Different players do have a different approaches:
Architects think about the design of the building
Investors/developers ask how many square feet
can be squeezed in
Urban planners think about the context
The press hopes that there is a story to tell
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9. What do politicians think about?
This is what a minister has to read per day. Please note,
there is no magazine on architecture in this two piles:
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10. What do politicians think about?
Politicians think about
The interests of architects, urban planners and
investors/developers
The voters in their constituency and the next
election
The opposition in their own party and from the
other parties
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11. What do politicians think about?
Politicians think about
The media
The media
The media
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12. What do architects think about?
Architects think about
Their projects – which speak for themselves
Their projects – which are about their views,
value and taste
Their projects – which should be commissioned
by project developers now and supported by
politicians anyway
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13. How are the media reporting about architecture
if it is not in the cultural section of the FAZ?
Overrun budgets
Overrun timetables
How many streets will be blocked and for how
long?
The social question
Berliner Schloss
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14. How do lobbyist help?
Understand the different and the common interests of:
Of the people which are living in a city
Architects and urban planners
Investors/developers, politicians and the media
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15. How do lobbyist help?
Knowledge and understanding of:
Detailed knowledge of architecture and heritage
Understand the cost calculation of an investor
Take into account the interest of a politician to be
associated with projects which bring the city and
him/her forward
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16. What is the role of lobbyist?
In London
Developers give contracts to lobby agencies
Co-ordinate the various interests
Communicate with the architectural press
(journalists are critical, not afraid and like to use
professional briefings)
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17. What is the role of a lobbyist?
In London
Help developers and architects to communicate
their vision to politicians, the media and the public
Help developers to understand the specific
requirements / regulations of the local authority
they want to build in
Communicate with the press (they will love you)
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18. What is the role of a lobbyist?
In London
Work with planning authorities and politicians
Organise public debates
Have a clue what you are talking about
Know that Londoner´s do expect international
architects to build their city.
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19. What is the role of a lobbyist?
In Berlin
Have a coffee / wine with architects
Have a coffee / wine with politicians
Do not talk to the architectural press (they are
hesitant to speak with a communication expert)
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20. What is the role of a lobbyist?
In Berlin
Do not talk to the press
Do not organise public debates
Do not mention that architecture has an
international context
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21. Should an architect be a lobbyist?
If you know how to sell your story to the press
If you know the added-value you are bringing to
policy-makers and you understand their needs
If you know how the interplay between public-
opinion, politics, building-law, media and your
project looks like
If you know that the beauty of your architecture
stands for itself – whatever the people say
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22. Thank you for your time
and consideration.
Managing Director, Markus Rosenthal
nuances GmbH & Co KG
Altes Kontorhaus am Spittelmarkt
Neue Grünstraße 17/18
10179 Berlin, Germany
T +49 (0)30 257 407 20
F +49 (0)30 257 407 29
mail@nuances.de
www.nuances.de
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