Discover Germany | Special Theme | All Eyes on German Architecture 2019Move Management
Day-care centre near to Munich. Photo: © Felix Löchner Architekturfotografie
Treat yourself to an architective Architectural designs have a lot to tell, and can achieve so many things. We take a look at one of the creators of some particularly exciting designs.
boring, never the same. As true architectives, we always look for the best architectural solutions and approaches.”
TEXT: SILKE HENKELE I PHOTOS: ARCHITEKTEI MEY GMBH
“I have been fascinated by buildings and building processes from a very early age. So when I followed my vocation and started studying architecture in Aachen, I had already gained a lot of experiences from building tree houses and working as a bricklayer and concrete worker. Travelling the world for a year, I finally ended up at the Staedelschule, an Art Academy in Frankfurt. After working in London as a lecturer, I established my first architectural office,” recalls Bernd Mey, managing director and owner of Frankfurt-based architektei mey. Being an architective ‘Architective’, a word created by Mey himself, pretty well expresses his creative 90 | Issue 73 | April 2019
approach:“I consider myself and my team as architectives who, similar to a detective, are looking for the right solution to our projects. Always alert, always checking the environment for possible hints or ideas. And finally coming up with a vision that perfectly matches the situation at hand.” An architective’s approach Mey, who describes his architectives’ design as “clear, straightforward and marked by natural nonchalance”, clearly follows his own rules:“Our plans are open and transparent. Transitions between inand outside are fluent. We are generous in gesture, but strict when it comes to function. And, of course, our designs are never
So, what else is there, apart from iconic designs, that Mey’s clients appreciate in his and his team’s work? “We are creative and we are persistent. Let me explain this with an example. Take an orange. Each architect has one, and each architect is able to squeeze them. Some get really sweet juice, others aren’t as lucky. Well, we know where the best fruits grow, those that match our clients’ tastes best.
Main Tower Restaurant Bar – Frankfurt. Photo: © architektei mey gmbh