11/09/2020
Renowned conservation architect, Julian Harrap of Julian Harrap Architects, delivered a public lecture as part of RSUA’s contribution to European Heritage Open Days, which celebrates cultural heritage across Europe.
Julian’s practice has won multiple RIBA National Awards and has been honoured with the Mies Van der Rohe Award for the best architecture in the European Union. He is perhaps best known for his contribution to the Neues Museum in Berlin which was delivered in partnership with David Chipperfield Architects. The building which was designed by Friedrich August Stuler in 1855 suffered severe damage during World War II, after which it was left as an abandoned bombsite. Emergency measures to secure the structure were only taken in the 1980s.
Painstaking restoration work got under way in 2003. The buildinging’s facade and interiors were carefully preserved, the scars of the war were not patched over but rather incorporated into the restoration of the landmarked building. What emerged was a restored historical building that is simultaneously a modern museum. The architects thus managed to lend this extraordinary building and former ruin a unique and wholly authentic splendour. You can watch the talk and Q&A below:
