Talks at the Lane | Karl-Heinz Schmitz on Architecture as Public Commodity

The search for the space itself, the precision in the floor plan development and the aesthetic demands on the graphic realisation were the starting point for Schmitz’s career, which began in 1993 as a university teacher in Weimar.

In addition to his work as a teacher, Karl-Heinz designed a series of buildings that testify an intensive examination of urban spaces and the work on existing buildings. In 2005, in collaboration with Hilde Barz-Malfatti, Schmitz completed reconstruction and extension of the Duchess Anna Amalia Library located in the middle of the historic palace and library ensemble. It has naturally become part of the urban tissue, uniting spaces and elements of the old and the new while at the same time developing an exciting fresh autonomy.

Karl-Heinz Schmitz has given lectures and has taken part in guest critiques at a number of universities. ETSAM, Madrid , University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, TU Prague, TU Eindhoven, University College Dublin, UdK Berlin, University of Naples Federico II, TU Vienna. From 1999 to 2017 he was responsible for the international design course IAAD (International Advanced Architectural Design) at the Bauhaus University. As well as researching history and theory of public building types, Karl-Heinz worked on a number of publications such as An Archive of Contemporary Art in the Historic Centre of Naples, Literature and the City, Village Textures and Libraries: A Design Manual.

As part of the talk, Karl-Heinz will display some of his work alongside the work of his Bauhaus University students within our Exhibition Space.