Frank Gehry – Hans Scharoun: Strong Resonances
Barbara Nierhoff-Wielk and Evelyn Wöldicke
Frank Gehry and Hans Scharoun never met each other – and yet two of their most famous buildings are closely linked: Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (2003) and the Berlin Philharmonie by Scharoun (1963). Taking these buildings as the starting point, the exhibition and catalogue examine the relationship between the two architects.
Scharoun’s Expressionist approach provided the inspiration for Gehry’s Deconstructivist formal language in Los Angeles. The exhibition and book focus on Scharoun’s influence on Gehry – not only the buildings that were actually realized, but also his visionary architectural fantasies – and Gehry’s continuing activities in and with Berlin, such as his contribution to the competition for the Museum Island (1994–97), the DZ Bank at Pariser Platz (1994–98) and the Pierre Boulez Hall in the Barenboim-Said Academy (2014–17). The catalogue assembles essays, interviews and contemporary documents in order to introduce this fascinating topic.