half modern, half something else

The work of architects Sonja Nagel, Jan Theissen and Björn Martenson, who since 2010 have worked under the name Amunt, can hardly be described as stringent or straight-lined. Consisting for the most part of small houses, adaptations, extensions, interior fit-outs and spatial interventions, their oeuvre is particularly interesting precisely because it is produced through a constant and intensive examination of everything that could be described as context, in the broadest sense of the term. Some of Amunt’s most notable works include: JustK, a striking house in Tübingen that garnered several awards including The Weißenhof Architecture Promotional Prize (2010), the Hugo-Häring Prize (2011) and the German Architecture Prize (2013); and the renovation of a settlement house in Aachen, which was awarded the German Architecture Prize in 2013.

Björn Martenson is a German architect who balances professional innovation with academic rigor. He studied architecture at RWTH Aachen, completing his degree in 1997. After graduating, Martenson worked for Brandlhuber & Kniess, where he later became a partner and contributed to notable projects such as the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt in Stuttgart. His approach often involves transforming modest or overlooked existing buildings into vibrant, functional spaces, frequently for young families with limited budgets, and he reinterprets ‘found’ elements by enhancing them with light, spatial openness and thoughtful layers, rather than replacing them entirely.

Following the presentation of their work, Björn Martenson will be in conversation with Valentin Bontjes van Beek.

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