Part of:

People:

Alvaro Siza (archive creator)
Alvaro Siza (architect)

Title:

Blocke 70 und 89, Kreuzberg, Fränkelufer [Fränkelufer residential complex], Berlin, Germany (1976-1982)

Date:

1976-1982

Level of archival description:
Project

Extent and medium:

341 photographic materials
Approximately 184 drawings (including 114 reprographic copies
0.01 l.m. of textual records

Scope and content:
The project series documents the 1979 design entry for Block 70 and 89, also known as the Fränkelufer residential complex. While the records were held in the office’s archives this project was assigned the number 55/70. The office assigned the date 1979 for this project. This project was submitted to the International Architectural Exhibition Berlin competition (International Bauaustellung, IBA, circa 1979-1987), an urban renewal strategy for West Berlin, Germany. Six months prior to submitting the design for Block 70 and 89 Siza submitted a design for the Görlitzer Bad swimming pool, which did not win the competition but received a special prize. Siza later submitted proposals to the IBA for Bonjour Tristesse (Block 121), Monument to Gestapo victims Prinz-Albrecht-Palais, Block 11-12 (Kottbusser Damm), and the Kulturforum, all of which are documented in this fonds.

The IBA divided West Berlin into two parts: IBA Neubau ('new building'), led by Josef Paul Kleihues, and IBA Altbau ('old building') led by Hardt-Walherr Hämer. IBA Nuebau's focus was to build new structures while IBA Altbau's was to renovate existing buildings. The competition site for Block 70 and 89 was located on the west side of Kreuzberg, a district on the eastern edge of West Berlin. Although this project was part of the Altbau section, it nonetheless required building new housing complexes, which was generally under the purview of the Neubau section (Mota, "An archaeology of the ordinary" 299). Siza won second prize in the competition for his design of Block 70 and 89. This design proposal is said to have prepared Siza's ideas for his first international built project, Block 121 (Mathur, "The migrant's time").

The project series contains sketches and studies, which include notes. Several of the project sketches also include sketches of people. Documenting the design proposal are site plans, elevations, interior elevations, and floor plans. Photographs, negatives, contact sheets, and slides depict the project site and surrounding area as well as the model and drawings. Additionally there are panoramic photomontages of the project site. Please note that documentation for this project series is housed with documentation on Block 11-12 in file AP178.S1.1980.PR03.008, in the order it was kept by the office. Documentation for Block 70 and 89 includes an invitation to the competition, recommendations from the IBA advisory council, and other information regarding the competition.

Reference number:

AP178.S1.1979.PR06

Arrangement:
Materials in this project series were compiled from multiple accessions. Materials within each accession were arranged by Álvaro Siza’s office and have been kept in this order.

Location:

Berlin Germany

Credit line:
When citing the collection as a whole, use the citation: Álvaro Siza fonds, Collection Centre Canadien d’Architecture/Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montréal. When citing specific collection material, please refer to the object’s specific credit line.

Language of material:

German
Portuguese

Related units of description:

Documentation for this project series is housed with documentation for Block 11-12 (see file AP178.S1.1980.PR03.008 in this fonds), in the order it was kept by the office. Sketches for this project series may also be found among sketches for Block 11-12 as the office often arranged materials for both these projects together. Sketches for Block 70 and 89 are also included among sketchbooks in series AP178.S2 of this fond. Of note are sketchbooks 45-47 and 53.