for visual
interpretation
of “protection”
16-01-001
for visual
interpretation
of “protection”
16-01-002
of the object
Burgfried
16-01-003
and elevation
with dimensions
16-01-004
relationship
of the three
steel profiles
16-01-005
to the architecture
of the barracks
buildings
16-01-006
16-01-007
colour design
16-01-008
of the colours
from various
viewpoints
16-01-009
of the colours
when the
observer’s
viewpoint
changes
16-01-010
of the colours
when the
observer’s
viewpoint
changes
16-01-011
of the colours
when the
observer’s
viewpoint
changes
16-01-012
the barracks site,
view 1
16-01-013
the barracks site,
view 2
16-01-014
the barracks site,
view 3
16-01-015
The artistic idea:
The subject of “protection” is represented by an enclosed space. This space provides protection towards all sides and at the same time access and refuge from all sides: the hexagonal plan produces three walled sides and three open sides. The protected space is so confined, on the one hand, that it can enclose a single person or a couple in close contact. On the other hand it is so tall that it leads to an impressive dramatisation of the experience of being protected. Thus arises an extremely slender tower: the Burgfried, or castle keep. The tower motif is translated into modern formal language and is thus an abstract sign, a landmark – a clear symbol of protection.
The colour design:
The German national colours lend the Burgfried a position in terms of its meaning: protection is a task of the nation with national participation. Three metal profiles each bear one of the three colours. This establishes an objective equilibrium of the colour quantities. Subjectively, however, the quantities shift significantly, depending on the viewpoint of the beholder. For those who walk or drive past, from every point of view there emerges a new arrangement, a new colour dominance and thus a new image. Beholders, through their own motion, therefore experience a progression similar to a film. The colours are graded in three steps, gaining life in this way and, furthermore, the imaginary lightness of a symbolic vision (although the material is heavy steel).
Relationship to the environs:
Clear geometry that emphasises the verticals takes up the visual language of the surrounding grid architecture. The total height of the steel profiles relates to the heights of the buildings, while the heights of the colour fields relate to the heights of the individual storeys. The object is presented on a much-frequented space in front of the buildings and – thanks to its slenderness and permeability – makes itself available without getting in the way. On the one hand, it is an eloquent sign that cannot be overlooked. On the other hand, it hardly exists as an obstacle. This ambivalence enhances its character as a signifier.