Architect Rob Krier (1938-2023) pass away
22/11/2023.
[Grevenmacher] Luxembourg
metalocus, JOSÉ JUAN BARBA
metalocus, JOSÉ JUAN BARBA
The well-known architect, urban planner, theorist, and sculptor Rob Krier died on Monday at the age of 85. He was born in Luxembourg in 1938, although he lived mainly in Germany where he carried out most of his projects. He was known along with his brother, Léon Krier, as a leading figure in the emergence of "New Urbanism" as well as postmodern architecture.
He traveled extensively in Italy before studying architecture at the Technical University of Munich from 1959 to 1964. After graduating, he began working in Germany with Oswald Mathias Ungers in Cologne and Berlin in 1965-66 and with Frei Otto in Berlin and Stuttgart in 1967-70.
He traveled extensively in Italy before studying architecture at the Technical University of Munich from 1959 to 1964. After graduating, he began working in Germany with Oswald Mathias Ungers in Cologne and Berlin in 1965-66 and with Frei Otto in Berlin and Stuttgart in 1967-70.
Architectural Composition by Rob Krier. Rizzoli, 1988.
Artklass Building, Bilbao, Spain. Rob Krier with Breitman & Breitman Architectes, IA+B. Photography by Xavier de Jauréguiberry.
Artklass Building, Bilbao, Spain. Rob Krier with Breitman & Breitman Architectes, IA+B. Photography by Xavier de Jauréguiberry.
Artklass Building, Bilbao, Spain. Rob Krier with Breitman & Breitman Architectes, IA+B. Photography by Xavier de Jauréguiberry.
Sculpture Light and Darkness, made by Rob Krier around 2001. Placed at the Wijnhaven in front of a building called The Residentin The Hague.
From 1976 to 1998 he held a professorship in architecture at the Vienna University of Technology and taught at the Universities of Stuttgart and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. In 1996 he assumed the role of visiting professor at Yale University in the United States.
Rob Krier made a name for himself in 1975 with his book "Urban Space", in which he rejected post-war urban development. In the 80s he built mainly in Berlin. Between 1992 and 1997 he coordinated the construction of the Kirchsteigfeld in Potsdam, where he built around 2,700 homes on an area of approximately 60 hectares.
In 1976 he founded his own office in Vienna. Between 1992 and 2004, he co-managed an office in Montpellier with Nicolas Lebunetel and from 1993 another in Berlin, with Christoph Kohl.
As an urban planner, his theories had an incalculable impact on numerous projects. His approaches focused on urban reconstruction based on historical models and archetypal cities. Based on these principles, he developed new typologies of streets and public squares which he implemented in namy urban proposals throughout Europe, from large-scale projects in Berlin to new cities in the Netherlands and residential projects in Spain.
"Rob Krier's built work demonstrates a mastery of fine arts, design, and construction. He was one of the first of his generation to dedicate his architecture to generating a harmonious urban fabric and a well-formed public realm at the same time. He paved the way for a return to the humanist ideal of seeking a civilized life in cities," said Stefanos Polyzoides, president of the jury of the Driehaus Prize, awarded in 2022. "His influence on him as a theorist has been omnipresent. Over the past 30 years, his published books and his extensive teaching and lecturing have attracted and influenced students and professionals around the world."
