Günter Behnisch

Günter Behnisch
Born (1922-06-12)June 12, 1922
Lockwitz, Germany
Died July 12, 2010(2010-07-12) (aged 88)
Stuttgart, Germany
Nationality German
Alma mater Technical University in Stuttgart
Occupation Architect
Practice Behnisch & Partner

Günter Behnisch (June 12, 1922 – July 12, 2010) was a German architect, born in Lockwitz, near Dresden. During the Second World War he became one of Germany's youngest submarine commanders. Subsequently Behnisch became one of the most prominent architects representing deconstructivism. His prominent projects included the Olympic Park in Munich and the new West German parliament in Bonn.

Early life

Behnisch was born the second of three children, in Lockwitz near Dresden.[1] He attended a number of schools, due to the fact his Social Democrat father was arrested, sacked and redeployed to Chemnitz by the new Nazi government.[1]

Behnisch volunteered to join the navy (Kriegsmarine), aged 17, which was a less onerous alternative to compulsory labour service, or army conscription.[1] He eventually became a U-boat officer and, in 1944, one of the youngest U-boat commanders.[1] At the end of the Second World War he surrendered his submarine to the British and became a prisoner of war in Featherstone Castle in Northumberland.[1]

Behnisch initially trained as a bricklayer[1] then, in 1947 enrolled to study architecture at the Technical University in Stuttgart.[2]

Plenary chamber of the German Bundestag in Bonn

Architectural career

One of his most notable buildings was the new parliament in the West German capital, Bonn. Although he won the architectural design competition in 1973, the construction only began in 1987, and was completed in 1992.[2]

He established his own architecture practice in Stuttgart in 1952, which in 1966 became Behnisch & Partner.

His son Stefan Behnisch established a separate firm, Behnisch Architekten in 1989.

Olympic Park in Munich (1972)

Completed projects

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 David Childs, Günter Behnisch: The architect behind Munich's groundbreaking Olympic Stadium, in The Independent (London), 7 August 2010, retrieved 1 March 2012
  2. 1 2 Thorsten Dörting, Obituary of the Architect Günter Behnisch, in Spiegel online international, 13 July 2010, retrieved 9 August 2010
  3. "Sueddeutsche Article on Günther Benisch". Sueddeutsche Newspaper. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  4. "Plenary Complex of the German Parliament". aedes architecture. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  5. "State Clearing Bank – Landesgirokasse in Stuttgart". AW Magazine. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  6. "Nürnberg International Airport (NUE/EDDN), Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany". Airport Technology. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  7. "Defining the Internal Essence of the Materiality of Institution" (PDF). Michael James Potter. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  8. "German Embassy Essay on German Architects". German Embassy Kopenhagen. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  9. "Benisch Profile on German Architects". German Architects Website. Retrieved 3 June 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Günter Behnisch.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, February 24, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.