Peter talks to Sou Fujimoto one of the leading Japanese architects today. Among his recent renowned projects is the 1st prize for the 2014 International Competition for the Second Folly of Montpellier, France (“L’Arbre Blanc”). In 2019, he was selected as the Master Architect for Tsuda University Kodaira Campus Master Plan development. His notable works include; “Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013” (2013), “House NA” (2011), “Musashino Art University Museum &Library” (2010), “House N” (2008) and many more.
The Extension
We explored a number of possibilities and variations for generating more space to house the additional facilities required for the Musiksaal. We focused on the area between the Musiksaal and the Barfüsserkirche, where the cloisters had been built in the Middle Ages. The area had consequently been cleared for architectural modifications by the Department of Historic Preservation. Initially we proposed extensions to the building between the Barfüsserkirche and the Musiksaal in analogy to the former cloisters but soon jettisoned the idea on urban, architectural, and operational grounds. The Stehlin Musiksaal was brilliantly conceived as a palazzo and all attempts to add on to the building looked like ridiculous patchwork. Similar to the annex of 1939, the extension facing the church would have been perceived as being behind the building and thus inferior to the façade facing Steinenberg.
The only viable solution was to treat the Musiksaal as an autonomous building, uncoupled from the 1939 Casino.