In remembrance of Michael Wilford

On March 10, Michael Wilford died at the age of 84. He was the younger of the two architects responsible for the WZB's idiosyncratically beautiful building. An obituary.

It does matter in which context thoughts and theories arise. This is doubly true for research at the WZB: We conduct social research that is committed to the problem situations of the society of which we are a part. And we are allowed to do this in a special setting. The building on Reichpietschufer is not just any office building. It is a collection of quotations and allusions; an old building whose facade is still marked by traces of the Second World War, and new buildings connected by the exterior colors of light blue and pink and by a bold orange floor. In form, however, the building parts are very diverse, reminiscent of a Greek stoa, a basilica, an arena.

Playfulness, wit, respect for traditions and a great friendliness characterize this architecture. It was created in the 1980s through the congenial collaboration of British architects James Stirling and Michael Wilford. Wilford, the younger of the two, grew in this collaboration, from technical implementer to artistic counterpart. Since 1992, he alone has preserved the legacy, in turn conscious of tradition, but also open to further developments. He accompanied the development and construction of the winter garden; we were always happy to have him as a guest in our house, in his house.

Michael Wilford, born in 1938, has helped shape European architecture of the post-war modern era. In Berlin, the British Embassy bears his signature, in Stuttgart the State Gallery and the Academy of Music. In addition to the Tate Gallery in Liverpool, the Poultry No. 1 commercial building in London, the Lowry Centre in Manchester, and the Esplanade cultural center in Singapore, Wilford has designed many more. He has taught at several universities, including Yale and Harvard.

If we and our guests enjoy stepping over the threshold at the "Rose Gate" every day, if the perspectives and details inspire us again and again, then we owe this in large measure to the architect Michael Wilford. We are saddened to learn of his death. We will preserve his memory. He left us with an abundance of impulses for this.

Jutta Allmendinger
President of the WZB

2023/3/20