aac Academy for Architectural Culture

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Deutschland
Hamburg
aac Academy for Architectural Culture

The aac Academy offers valuable additional qualification to gifted architectural students, graduates and architects in the form of theme-based workshops.

The Academy for Architectural Culture (aac) is a private, non-profit institution founded by the architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp). With research studies and intensive courses held throughout the year, the aac is dedicated to finding solutions to relevant architectural issues and the further education of young architects from different cultures. The aac offers additional qualification for highly qualified architectural students, graduates and young architects. A place at an aac teaching session allows you to tap directly into more than 45 years of experience collected by von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects (gmp). The teaching sessions reflect the gmp philosophy, experience and detailing of architecture relevant to its social context. Insights are given on how to reach completion of projects on an international stage. As participant at an aac course you will be part of a team, led by Meinhard von Gerkan and his partners, developing architectural concepts for questions of our time. The work is further supported by renowned international visiting professors and experts, contributing their experience from a specialist perspective. The programme was launched in 2008 with a course in Hamburg, at which participants focused on the East Asia region under the motto “Architecture as a cultural export – concepts for a globalised world”. This was followed up by the “TXL+” workshop in 2009 that focused on the future use of the Berlin-Tegel airport and, in 2010, on the design for a German House in Ho Chi Minh City during the first aac workshop abroad, in Hanoi, Vietnam. In 2012, an aac workshop was held on its own premises for the first time, at the Campus Rainvilleterrasse in Hamburg. Addressing the theme of sustainable, affordable housing, the participants developed designs for two sites, Hamburg’s HafenCity and the new Chinese port of Lingang New City respectively. A place at an aac teaching session allows young architects to tap directly into more than 45 years of experience collected by the architects from gmp. With over 590 prizes in national and international competitions (including more than 290 first prizes) and over 350 completed buildings, gmp is one of the world’s most highly sought after architecture offices for building projects of international significance.

25/09/2026

What role can a railway station play in shaping the future of a city?

This question has been at the heart of our aac workshop, 'Athens Central', for the past three and a half weeks.

Using Athens Central Station as a case study, participants explored how transport infrastructure can stimulate urban regeneration. The challenge was to improve mobility and reconnect neighbourhoods while creating high-quality public spaces that would support the long-term development of the surrounding district.

Through intensive analysis, discussion and design work, participants developed a range of visionary proposals for one of Athens' most important urban sites.

Congratulations to all the participants for their dedication, creativity and hard work!

Starting next week, the design proposals will be on display at our aac campus in Hamburg.

18/09/2026

Charrette: One Challenge. Many First Ideas.

A few days in Athens can generate a surprising number of impressions.

Our participants explored the Athens Central Station area, spoke with stakeholders involved in its development, spent time observing the site and experienced the city firsthand. The result: plenty of ideas and just one challenge...
..translate them into a single image.

The charrette is often the first glimpse of how participants think and what they consider most important about the design task ahead.

This second part of our Charrette Wall features contributions by Matúš Meňhert, Molly McCormack, Divya Mohanti, Myles McLean, Dagmar Garriga, Panagiota Fouseki, AleksandraŚwiąder and Maximilian Stope.

We are excited to see how these individual ideas will evolve into group proposals over the next week!

To find out more about the aac workshop, 'Athens Central', see bio.

16/09/2026

Charrette: Where Every Design Journey Begins

We have just returned from Athens and the design process is already underway.

As in every aac workshop, the first step is a charrette: a quick individual exercise that allows participants to capture their initial thoughts, ambitions and design intentions before joining forces in their workshop groups.

The goal is not a finished design, but a single idea communicated through a powerful image.

Here is the first part of our Charrette Wall, featuring contributions by Lukar Müller, S M Sazzad Lishan, Pin-Han Wang, Emily Nothdurft, Vanessa Zwinger, Nicholas Leang, Markus Wüllbeck and Eliana Kambouraki.

Can you already spot ideas that might find their way into the final proposals?

To learn more about the aac workshop 'Athens Central' see bio.

11/09/2026

Final presentation on 25 September 2026

On Friday 25 September 2026, the results of the 'Athens Central: A new Destination for National Mobility and Urban Life' workshop will be presented and the exhibition of the proposals will be opened.

For more information or to register, please visit https://tinyurl.com/44v93n93

We hope to see you there!

💬 Presentation of the workshop works with exhibition opening
📅 Friday, 25 September 2026
🕖 11.00 a.m.
📍aac, Rainvilleterrasse 4, 22765 Hamburg, Germany

Image: Jochen Stüber

02/09/2026

Public lecture on 17 September 2026

Dr Rainer Herzinger, principal structural engineer and member of the executive board at Penzel Valier AG, will speak at our aac campus in Hamburg and online during our 'Athens Central' workshop.

Registration is required. For more information or to register, please visit https://tinyurl.com/59s3zrfb

We hope to see you there!

💬 Dr. Rainer Herzinger, Penzel Valier AG, Zurich
📅 Thursday, 17 September 2026
🕖 7.00 p.m.
📍 aac, Rainvilleterrasse 4, 22765 Hamburg, Germany and online on our YouTube channel

Dr. Rainer Herzinger is a civil engineer and has been a member of the management board at Penzel Valier AG in Zurich since 2026. For over 20 years, he has been planning and overseeing complex international building and infrastructure projects. His focus lies on structural engineering, project management and the interdisciplinary coordination of challenging construction projects, including bridges, high-rise buildings, railway stations, commercial buildings and museums. Before joining Penzel Valier, he headed the engineering department at Santiago Calatrava LLC in Zurich.

Image: Penzel Valier AG

31/08/2026

Ten years apart, connected by a common question.

As we prepare to kick off our Autumn Workshop 2026, Athens Central, we're taking a look back at the Altona Nord workshop from 2016.

Set in our home city of Hamburg, this workshop examined the development of a local public transport station into a long-distance railway station exploring how the heart of a neighborhood could be shaped around a modest railway stop.

Ten years later, we find ourselves once again discussing the chances of urban change in the context of a railway station accelerating the desire for a new destination for national mobility and urban life.

Different city, higher complexity, but some of the requirements feel familiar!

Here are a few glimpses of the results developed during the 2016 workshop.

With our current workshop Athens Central about to begin, we look forward to seeing how a new generation of participants will respond to the call for simple solutions to complex challenges.

Image: Altona Nord Workshop 2016 participants

28/08/2026

Public lecture on 10 September 2026

Daniel Jongtien, partner at Benthem Crouwel Architects, will speak at our aac campus in Hamburg and online during our 'Athens Central' workshop.

Registration is required. For more information or to register, please visit https://tinyurl.com/59s3zrfb

We hope to see you there!

💬 Daniel Jongtien, Benthem Crouwel Architects, Amsterdam
📅 Thursday, 10 September 2026
🕖 7.00 p.m.
📍 aac, Rainvilleterrasse 4, 22765 Hamburg, Germany and online on our YouTube channel

Daniel Jongtien is an architect and partner at Benthem Crouwel Architects, with ample experience in train stations, airports and multimodal transport hubs. Since joining the firm in 2006, he has worked on Amsterdam Central Station, Rotterdam Central Station and Delft Central Station, Paris Metro Lines 17 and 18, Brussels Airport and Schiphol Airport. He leads complex, long-term design processes, connects clients and stakeholders, and focuses on clear layouts, intuitive way finding, sustainable solutions and strong connections between infrastructure, public space and the wider urban context.

Image: Benthem Crouwel Architects

26/08/2026

How can a modern central station bring neighbourhoods together rather than dividing them with its tracks?

This is the question that we will explore with participants at our upcoming aac Autumn Workshop 2026, starting on 1 September.

This year, we will focus on Athens Central Station and its potential to become more than just a transport hub, but also a place that reconnects neighbourhoods and contributes to the future of the surrounding district.

Here is an early glimpse of Athens Central Station. We look forward to experiencing it in person and exploring its potential!

Image: .maass

24/08/2026

Public lecture on 08 September 2026

Prof. Dr. Nadir Abdessemed, creative director and associate partner at Transsolar, will speak at our aac campus in Hamburg and online during our 'Athens Central' workshop.

Registration is required. For more information or to register, please visit ttps://tinyurl.com/59s3zrfb

We hope to see you there!

💬 Prof. Dr. Nadir Abdessemed, Transsolar Energietechnik, Stuttgart
📅 Tuesday, 08 September 2026
🕖 11.00 a.m.
📍 aac, Rainvilleterrasse 4, 22765 Hamburg, Germany and online on our YouTube channel

Prof. Dr. Nadir Abdessemed is a Creative Director and Associate Partner at Transsolar. Since 2009, he has supported international architecture teams from Stuttgart and New York in developing innovative climate and energy concepts. He leads projects ranging from schools and museums to mixed-use developments and climate strategies for cities and regions. Trained as a Mechanical Engineer, he holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and is active in teaching worldwide, including at the Harvard GSD. He currently serves as Professor of Building Technology and Building Physics at the University of Siegen.

Image: Transsolar Energietechnik

19/08/2026

A Continuous Circuit

In Group 04’s design, a new building structure, like machine, establishes a closed circuit – a tangential route guides visitors, forming a contrasting element.

The project was developed during the aac Spring Workshop 2024“City for Dreams”, investigating how architectural design can guide movement through the former Hayfilm Studios in Yerevan, Armenia, creating new spatial sequences and experiences for visitors within the future Film City.

Members: Alessia Beni, Maximilian Vogel, Melanya Hakobyan and Tamás Kocsis
Tutor: Annika Göttle

Interested in joining the next challenge?

Apply now for the aac Spring Workshop in February/March 2027: https://tinyurl.com/2tnst6dt

Adresse

Rainvilleterrasse 4
Hamburg
22765

Telefon

+494031701619

Website

http://www.aac-hamburg.de/

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