HPP Architects: Approaches

by Frank Werner, Frank Werner, Zhang Shiling

Founded by partners Helmut Hentrich and Hans Heuse in Düsseldorf in 1935, Hentrich-Petschnigg & Partners (HPP)--creators of such iconic buildings as Düsseldorf's Dreischeibenhaus (1960), a skyscraper consisting of three narrow vertical slabs of stainless steel, aluminum and glass--has led German architecture for more than 70 years. Four generations later, with more than 250 employees at 12 locations throughout the world, HPP has recently won first prize in the EXPO Village Shanghai competition. They have also caught the international spotlight with their plans for the bold Europe Tower in Sofia, Bulgaria, which will be that country's tallest skyscraper. This volume dynamically documents HPP buildings from the past decade and explores the firm's creative methodology--which is characterized by a process that eschews pure formalism for sensual, yet rational solutions.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2009