Portfolios - United Architektur

New Airport Terminal, Innsbruck, Austria

Innsbruck Airport

Austria

Client

Tiroler Flughafen Betriebsgesellschaft

Project Date

2020

Category

Conceptual Competition

The Innsbruck Airport is placed between two mountain ranges – the Inntalkette in the Karwendel Mountains in the north and the first mountains of the alpine central range in the south.

The competition concerned the new construction of the 12,000 m2 airport terminal for the Innsbruck Airport. Our design creates a clear orientation for the travellers. An elongated slight canopy connects the terminal to the check-in in the existing building. The roof, whose design is adapted to the adjacent car park and the opposite multi-storey car park, creates an extended covered drop-off zone to enter the airport. The extension of the dark glazed facade of the existing check-in building to the new building supports the realisation of a new overall design concept. The surrounding mountains are reflected in the facade of the building which makes travelling from Innsbruck Airport an unforgettable experience.

The drop-off zone opens up to the central terminal building. A slightly angled wood-panelled wall helps to orientate travellers inside the hall as it separates the public and the security area. Elevators, stairwells, storage rooms and rest rooms nestle in this wall. The girder of the roof structure is made of local timber. Two horizontal light-strips in the facade of the entrance and in the angled wall allow sunlight to brighten the central hall.

A decisive aspect of the construction plan is the internal functional linkage of the new building and the existing check-in building. The new hall links the existing check-in area and the arrivals area on the ground floor with the departure lounge on the top floor. A café, a supermarket, shops and a restaurant with view on the runway are arranged there. The offices and the technical rooms are housed separately from the passengers in the second floor. The new building matches the height of the storeys in the existing building. A double flight of stairs leads the passengers back to the waiting areas for Schengen and non-Schengen flights on the ground floor where the gates to the runway can also be found.

Architects: Jens Brinkmann

Collaborators: Minh Le, Tuan Anh Nguyen, Mariam Founda, Jerome Schloh

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Case Study House II, Greece

Case Study House II

Platanias, Greece

Client

Case Study

Project Date

2024

Category

Design project

This sustainable holiday home project is located in the seaside resort of Platanias on the southern coast of the Pilion peninsula. In this part of Greece the landscape is characterised by the proximity of forested mountains and the sea. As a case study, the experimental nature of the house is a testament to the innovative spirit of sustainable design. It uses only recyclable and reusable materials, emphasising sustainability from the ground up.

The house is designed as a timber construction. The lightweight construction also responds to the need for seismic safety in the region. The facades are made primarily of glass and translucent polycarbonate panels, which not only enhance the visual appeal, but also provide natural light while maintaining privacy. These panels create a soft, diffused light inside the house, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.

The house consists of three main units. First, the living room, dining area, kitchen and covered terrace. Second, a compact group of bedrooms and bathrooms. Thirdly, a roof terrace with a view of the sea. It is accessed via a staircase located at the covered terrace. The elongated space is framed by translucent polycarbonate walls that provide privacy and protection from the Mediterranean breeze.

Architectural site location map with white contour lines on a black background, indicating a coastal settlement layout next to the sea.

Technical axonometric diagram on a black background, showcasing the long building volume highlighted in blue and its spatial integration within the existing neighborhood context.

High angle architectural rendering showcasing a longitudinal residential pavilion with a rooftop terrace, surrounded by trees with a view of the sea and sailboats.

3D architectural rendering of the modern pavilion showcasing the full length of its translucent polycarbonate facade under a clear blue sky.

Minimalist rooftop timber deck rendering at sunset, featuring protective polycarbonate balustrades and an open view towards the ocean.

Museum of the 20th Century, Berlin

Extension of New National Gallery

Museum of the 20th Century, Berlin

Client

Preußische Stiftung Schlösser und Gärten

Project Date

2015

Category

Completed · Idea Competition

Our design for the Museum of the 20th Century, the extension of the New National Gallery Berlin, strengthens the urban presence of the Kulturforum towards Potsdamer Strasse. The new building creates the scale counterpart to the State Library and the Berlin Philharmonic Hall that has been missing since reunification. At the same time, it frames the historic building edge along Matthäikirchplatz.

The guiding idea for the new museum building is the window to the city. As a mediator between urban and art space, it emphasizes the public character of the building. At the same time, it divides the floors longitudinally and opens the building with generous views to the Neue Nationalgalerie and the Philharmonie.

The building has two main entrances. On the side facing Potsdamer Strasse, an elongated recess of the building leads to the foyer. Coming from Scharounplatz and Mathäikirchplatz, access is via the generous entrance terrace in front of the space-defining plane tree.

The facades consist of silver anodized aluminum panels and are designed in the base area as an interpretation of the Philharmonie’s facade pattern. On the floors above, the panels are doubled in scale and emphasize the soaring form of the structure.

The spatial concept of the new museum building comprises four exhibition levels, which are divided into two spatially coherent areas. The two areas, the lower exhibition level and the first floor, as well as the areas on the first and second exhibition levels, can each be experienced as a unit via double-story rooms.

The floor levels are illuminated by two “city windows” that structure the exhibition parcours and invite visitors to linger with views of the Kulturforum and the surrounding city.

The exhibition areas are accessed via a central access core with a main staircase and elevators. Administration and restoration have a separate side elevator.

The art depot is divided into two parts. One part is located on the top floor of the building. The scientific administration and the restoration are also located there. The spatial proximity of these three functions promotes internal communication and efficiency of work. The second part is located on the lower exhibition floor.

The lighting of the exhibition areas with artificial light is provided by a grid ceiling with flexible lighting elements. The ventilation and air conditioning systems are also located within the suspended structure. Wall and floor areas are thus freed from any technology and allow a high flexibility and quality of use.

Architects: Jens Brinkmann

Landscape Architects: Siegfried Bacher

Collaborators: Cécile Bernard, Emily Pearce, Chiara Sanguin,

Mona Rahal, Francesca Klute

Renders: Thomas Saint-Guillain, Alessandra Roccia

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Palmela Archeological Site Museum, Portugal

Palmela Archeological Site Museum

Europan 8 Competition, Aldeia Bacelo, Portugal

Client

Associação Europan Portugal

Project Date

2005

Category

Completed

The natural surroundings, existing structures and new centres are connected with each other by finding the common denominator between these elements. Borders, levels, eye scapes and functions are highlighted to create a new common identity. Our project aims to strengthen the dominant elements of the town of Aldeia Bacelo:
– the border between the Arrábida Natural Park and the urbanized area
– the topographic situation in terms of slightly but notable differences in levels
– the dominant horizon of the Louro Mountain Ridge which overlooks the whole town.

The Archeological Site Museum and the Environmental Centre houses the information office for nature tourism. This building not only reflects the natural form of the archaeological site, but also connects to the site of the finds by garden terraces extending into the landscape. The borders between new and existing are obvious, but the interconnectivity overrides these structures.

The accessible roofs become part of the landscape experience. Through tapered shaped skylights, light is directed into the interior of the building. They also serve as structural support for display cases and exhibition devices.

Architects: Dr. Jens Brinkmann
Collaborators: Cristiane Egger, Anna Kulka, Vanessa Nebgen

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Open-air swimming pool Bruggerhorn, Switzerland

Open-air swimming pool Bruggerhorn

St. Margrethen, Switzerland

Client

Bruggerhorn Lakeside Beach Resort

Project Date

2019

Category

Competition · Completed

The Bruggerhorn is a bathing lake offering views of the foothills of the Vorarlberg Alps. It has been used as a public bathing spot since the middle of the twentieth century. The lake was formed when a gravel quarry was dug out, and it is historically significant as it is part of the old Rhine riverbed. Today, the beach and the Bruggerhorn campsite are an important part of urban culture in the municipality of St. Margrethen, reflecting the dialogue between bathing culture and social function.

The urban development and open space concept proposes separate access to the beach, restaurant and campsite. The visitor path to the beach has been significantly enhanced and now leads from the access road, past the cash desk area and cloakroom wing, and over the new terrace to the sunbathing lawn. The gently sculpted access to the water includes a new, south-facing footbridge. This provides safe access while offering a new amenity in the form of a terraced staircase for sunbathing and a small beach area for children.

Architects: Jens Brinkmann
Collaborators: Paula Dagmar Petrovic

Cooperation with:
Landscape architecture: Donald Jacob, Basel, Switzerland

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Kite Surf School, Brazil

Kite Surf School

Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil

Client

ReTHINKING Architecture Competitions

Project Date

2021

Category

Competition

The National Park of Lençóis Maranhenses located on the North-east coast of Brazil was the location of our latest competion project. The vast 1.550 km2 area of sand dunes intercepted with fresh water lagoons makes the site incredibly unique and environmentally delicate. The wind constantly sculpts the dunes and lagoons into new forms. The exposed location also makes it a fantastic place for kite surfers.

The Kite Surf School is a ‘kite boat’. It is composed of many textile planes stretched over a lightweight steel frame that is fixed onto a floating pontoon. Our design creates a structure that is moveable, receptive and adaptive to the seasonal changes of the sand dunes and lagoons typical of this unique landscape. High-density polyethylene pontoon units provide a stable base to attach the steel structure and create a terrace from which to watch the kite surfers.

4 Main Objectives:

Indoor-Outdoor Experience – The design creates an indoor-outdoor experience that provides maximum shading from the sun and shelter from the wind. The textiles have varying visual permeability, depending on the function of the screen in the common and private areas. The main sun screen shades the common area and creates a window to the landscape.

Visual Landmark – From the surfer’s perspective, the kite boat serves as visual landmark. Its colour is complementary to the blue-green pools and white sand dunes. It acts as way finding beacon.

Ecological Construction– A steel structure was chosen for its long lifespan and its renewable properties. The structure can be easily disassembled, melted down and re-purposed into new steel components while retaining its original strength.

Functional Structure – Durable plastic pontoon units provide a stable base to attach the steel structure and create a terrace from which to watch the kite surfers. Textile tents for sleeping accommodation, kite storage units, kitchen and bathroom facilities occupy the structural spine. Tanks on the roof provide gravity fed water.

Architects: Jens Brinkmann

Collaborators: Jerome Schloh, Chiara Sanguin, Emily Pearce, Minh Le, Tuan Anh Nguyen

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Beach House Paúba, Brazil

Beach House Paùba

São Sebastião, Brazil

Client

Helio and Sueli Alves de Sousa

Project Date

2010

Category

Commision

The clients asked for apartments for weekend and short break tourism in Paúba. The beach and village of the same name are located in the county of São Sebastião, south of the city of São Paulo. Here, the plateau which extends over the main part of South-East Brazil abruptly slopes down to the Atlantic Ocean. Its steep mountains are covered with subtropical costal rainforest, forming an impressive natural backdrop.

The project creates a strong correlation between the interior and the landscape. A single folded roof slab spans over the whole building. It allows views of the close surroundings and the distant mountains, providing shadow and protection from the sometimes heavy rainfalls. The building sits on a terrace platform which serves as a veranda and parking area. It is highly flexible in the adaptation of variable patterns of occupancy. All rooms are also accessible from the outside. Five double bedroom apartments can be rented out either combined or separately. There is an additional possibility of connecting the pool terrace of the adjacent site to the new terrace platform.

Architects: Jens Brinkmann
Collaborators: Simone Buck, Katharina Schüler

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Finalists, This is not Manhattan

This is not Manhattan

New York City, USA, Finalist

Client

Van Alen Institute

Project Date

1998

Category

Conceptual Competition

This is not Manhattan – by laying down a sand beach along the East River Shore of Queens and Brooklyn, we give a new operational function to this body of water. We also seek to embody the void that stands above the plane of water. This de-contextualizes New York City – it brings back exactly what this city of water has left outside its entity: a beach. The endless horizontal plane reveals and gives access to the extraordinary power of emptiness of the East River. It stands in contrast to Manhattan’s density and verticality. It un-congests the New York City experience and proposes a place where the body can engage the water directly. Moreover, it supposes un-polluted water, thus creating a totally new attitude of the city in relation to the water.

The East River is composed of several operational systems that run along the water. While Manhattan operates on the river by visually extending its skyline along the water, the Queens and Brooklyn shores have ceased to operate as industrial devices. This isolates the two boroughs from the East River. The disappearance of this industrial attitude towards the East River allows us the possibility to reshape its identity through the remaking of the abandoned margin.
While the beach is added to the existing shore, the margin – the in-between zone – is rebuilt through the extension of the existing grid of Brooklyn and Queens that can overlay some existing buildings. Moreover, this operation gives a flexible and contextual layout for an unpredictable future to this large area that will still always be defined by its beach.

Architects/Design: Dr. Jens Brinkmann, Fabien Gantois

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Haus des Kindes, Golßen

Haus des Kindes

Nursery school, Golßen, Germany

Client

Amt Golßener Land

Project Date

2008

Category

Competition · Completed

This nursery school design reimagines Haus des Kindes, located in Golßen near the Spreewald, by transforming a former elementary school into a nursery and kindergarten Children‘s perception of space is of great importance for their development of creativity and education. This was an important starting point for our design concept. The functional needs of such a complex building as a nursery school take into account the children‘s scale, natural lighting, acoustics and climatic aspects as well as the use of colourful materials which have a positive effect on the spaces.

Architects: Jens Brinkmann, Doreen Ebert, Prof. Bernd Huckriede, Alejandro Tomás-Roldán
Collaborators: Simone Buck, Roman Röhrig, Philipp Stroh
Fotos: Frank Hülsbömer

Kindergarten interior design featuring bright green translucent corrugated partitions, custom yellow shelving units, and a child playing with a book.

Bright minimalist playroom interior with blue floor mats, textured acoustic ceiling panels, custom yellow wall storage, and green translucent accent glass.

Bright kindergarten hallway featuring long built-in yellow wooden cloakrooms and cubbies set against vibrant green translucent wall panels.

Interior view of an educational facility showing a white door frame next to a matte glass block wall, with green panels visible in the background.

Small cloakroom niche for children with integrated yellow benches and coat hooks, framed by a corrugated green translucent partition.

Child-friendly bathroom design showcasing low-mounted small washbasins installed on a central divider wall tiled in bright yellow.

Architectural rendering of a vibrant daycare outdoor playground featuring children playing in a sandbox, riding a tricycle, and gathering on low concrete seating blocks in front of the modern building facade.

Architectural detail shot of an outdoor wooden terrace entry staircase with a minimalist white side bench, wooden handrails, and large windows with integrated blinds.

Architectural photograph of an educational facility exterior showing a long white modular structural pavilion with integrated outdoor seating benches along a stone path.

Art Installation with Bernd Trasberger

Humboldt Forum Berlin, Germany

Project Date

2018

Category

Competition · Completed

The competition entry titled »Mocca Eck«, by artist Bernd Trasberger, is a proposal for an installation integrated into the main stair of the forthcoming Humboldt Forum in Berlin. United Architektur collaborated with the artist to develop and present the technical and aesthetic considerations relating to the location of the object in space.

The competition entry proposes to restore a heavily damaged coffee cup attached to the façade of the iconic Haus der Statistik in Alexanderplatz and hang it as a sculpture over the main stair in the new Humboldt Forum. The trails of rising steam that formerly pointed the way to Café Mocca Eck, an important place in the public life of former East Berlin, are rearranged to float above the stair.

On one hand, the proposal discusses the role that coffee plays as part of a complex relationship between global cultures and everyday life in Germany. On the other hand, the work raises important questions concerning the preservation of important relics of art and architecture from East German modernism. In the course of the project, a copy of the original coffee cup will be created according to the existing artifact. This new wall object will take the place of the original during the future renovation of Haus der Statistik, thereby retaining its presence in the urban realm.
The conceptual duplication of the coffee cup thus establishes a dialogue with the Humboldt Forum as a new type of museum dedicated to process and research. It frames the building as a cosmopolitan place eager to address new and unusual possibilities of coexistence between cultures and nations while raising fundamental questions about art and nature.

Architects: Jens Brinkmann
Collaborators: Gonca Yilmaz, Dana Faridani-Rad

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Innsbruck Airport

Austria

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Case Study House II

Platanias, Greece

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Extension of New National Gallery

Museum of the 20th Century, Berlin

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Palmela Archeological Site Museum

Europan 8 Competition, Aldeia Bacelo, Portugal

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Open-air swimming pool Bruggerhorn

St. Margrethen, Switzerland

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Kite Surf School

Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil

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Beach House Paùba

São Sebastião, Brazil

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This is not Manhattan

New York City, USA, Finalist

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Haus des Kindes

Nursery school, Golßen, Germany

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Art Installation with Bernd Trasberger

Humboldt Forum Berlin, Germany

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