Experimental Heritage Intervention. The architecture of Kuehn Malvezzi

  • Author: Carlos Mombiela Torres
  • Type of research: TFM MPAA (Master’s Thesis MPAA)
  • Lines of research: Heritage and Identity
  • Directors: Luis Rojo de Castro, Ángela Juarranz Serrano
  • Defense: 2023 September

In the past decade, prominent contemporary architects have shown a growing interest in operating on the pre-existing through proposals that break with the conventions of heritage intervention. The present study delves into the field of Experimental Preservation, a category that encompasses artistic and activist practices on the periphery of the discipline that question the status quo of heritage protection.

The purpose of the research is to investigate the extent to which contemporary architects share perspectives and strategies equivalent to those of these experimental practices. To illustrate this phenomenon, the office Kuehn Malvezzi, founded in 2001, is proposed as a case study. The Italian-German studio proposes a model of architectural practice that, through collaborations with artists and a “curatorial design” methodology, offers sophisticated responses to complex cultural and political contexts. Within its recent production stands out its predilection for buildings involved in conflicts of national identity. This interest means that its projects, on occasions, question the very essence of heritage and explains his tendency to explore transdisciplinary collaborations that broaden his range of responses.

The analysis delves into multiple works within the purview of Experimental Preservation, scrutinizing shared strategies and objectives between these projects and those of Kuehn Malvezzi. The study focuses on four projects: the competition entry for the Humboldt Forum in Berlin (2008), the proposal for the German Embassy in Belgrade (2009), the intervention undertaken at the Saarland Museum in Saarbrücken (2013-2017), and the programmatic competition and teaching course for the Bauakademie in Berlin (2018-2021).

Ultimately, this research situates Kuehn Malvezzi within a broader context of contemporary architects, including Arno Brandlhuber, DeVylder Vinck Taillieu, and Flores & Prats, who employ processes akin to experimental practices to navigate intricate heritage intervention scenarios. The objective is to illustrate the evolving role of architects who engage with existing structures and develop a coherent theoretical framework. This emergent paradigm is termed “Experimental Heritage Intervention”.