2_1_DiscoverGermany_January15_Issue22:Scan Magazine 1
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Main image: Mercedes-Benz Center Munich. Photo: Jens Weber Portraits: Peter Lanz and Martin Penner. Photo: Thomas Weinberger Opposite page: MINI Petuelring, Munich. Photo: Lubica Fahr BMW (left) Berlin. Photo: Christoph Stepan (right) Olympia Restaurant, Munich 1972. Photo: Karsten de Riese ( bottom left) Olympia „Ringerhalle“, Munich 1972. Photo: Sigrid Neubert (bottom middle)
Lanz Architekten Taking architecture to the next level in bringing together experience and creative new ideas Lanz Architekten + Generalplaner GmbH in Munich has brought together two outstanding architects with rather different backgrounds: Peter Lanz is a very experienced architect who founded his office in the 1950s, for about ten years now he works together with the much younger architectural entrepreneur Martin Penner. TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN | PHOTOS: LANZ ARCHITEKTEN
Born in Berlin Charlottenburg Peter Lanz moved to Munich to study architecture where he initially worked with Sep Ruf before opening his own architectural office in 1958. Today his work is known to the public mostly because of several large-scale projects like the 1972 Olympics in Munich: Peter Lanz designed the judo and wrestling hall and a temporary restaurant on the shore of the Olympic lake. Temporary Olympic buildings had to be built fast but they also had a great design standard since they were used for catering to visitors who took their impressions into the world. Lanz’s Olympic restaurant had space for about 5,000 guests and followed
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the expressive and constructivist trend in architecture that reached its peak in Paris’s Centre Pompidou. In using a French glasshouse system made of foil, Lanz had a light construction for the roof that also allowed a view towards the Olympic tower.
The same foil was used for the exterior walls creating a smooth transition between inside and outside. A more recent landmark building is Peter Lanz´s Munich Mercedes-Benz Centre with an elliptic glass tower and the world’s largest display window, showcasing the whole product range of Mercedes-Benz cars right next to an urban expressway. A passionate collaboration gave birth to a new successful team Martin Penner first came to work with Peter Lanz and his office out of coincidence about eleven years ago while developing an urban building project as a freelancer. From the very beginning both architects felt connected, sharing a passion for architecture, and Peter Lanz immediately offered Martin Penner a continuation of their joint work. A range of architectural competitions and projects evolved from this inspiring cooperation.