Lederer + Ragnarsdóttir + Oei (Portfolio 2)

As one of the most famous German architectural practices, Stuttgart-based Lederer & Ragnarsdóttir & Oei (LRO) has distinguished itself through dramatic, sweeping facades and unique forms that have had wide popular appeal but haven’t always adhered to what is fashionable. Their statement is clear and iconoclastic: “Creating a locality is absolutely crucial to our projects. To do that, architecture does not have to be reinvented by force. Instead, we try to learn from the long tradition of building without falling into historicism.” Of their numerous successful projects, the best known are Darmstadt’s State Theatre, the EVS Central Administration in Stuttgart and the Salem International College in Überlingen. This copiously illustrated volume, the second in the Portfolio series, introduces a cross-section of work with commentary by writer and architecture critic Falk Jaeger.