space laboratory for architectural
research and design
Steffen Lehmann has received widespread recognition for his achievements in architectural work, research and education.
He has a strong design background and has established his professional stature with a significant body of peer recognised built and unbuilt architectural projects. In the last 16 years, he has participated extensively in open and limited design competitions (over 30). He believes this activity to be an essential component of the development of new design strategies.
Steffen's architecture is often praised for its poetic use of materials, sculptural quality and sustainable logic. Over the last 16 years, he presented his designs to Lord Mayors of major cities (incl. Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Vienna, Brisbane), to political leaders and ministers (incl. Auswaertige Amt, various Ambassadors, French Ministries, Arabian Sheiks), to CEOs of significant companies, banks and associations (such as DaimlerChrysler, Deutsche Bahn, BVK Versorgungskammer, BdB), to museum directors and distinguished international juries.
The scale of his built projects range from high-rise towers and complex urban design, to conversions of existing, historically preserved buildings, as well as selected signature houses and energy-efficient office buildings.
On these projects, Steffen has collaborated with leading consultants, such as Cecil Balmond (Arup), K.-O. Schott (Facades), Klaus Daniels (HL-Services), Müller-Wehberg (Landscape), Peter Walker (Landscape), and others.
He now consults on major urban design projects in Australia, Europe, Asia and UAE - focusing on the integration of sustainable design principles.
Phases of architectural performance:
Lph 1 Brief and Site Analysis; Conceptual Design
Lph 2 Schematic Design
Lph 3 Developed Design
Lph 4 DA Development Approval
Lph 5 Construction Documents wth. Details
Lph 6 Specifications; Preparation of Tender Documents
Lph 7 Tendering Process
Lph 8 Supervision of Construction
Lph 9 Project Documentation; Defects
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 s_Lab studio in Berlin |
50 Selected Projects and Competitions (chronological):
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| 1991-1992 1st Prize in international competition Museum of Contemporary Art in Stuttgart (in collaboration with Arata Isozaki, Tokyo) Lph. 1-2. Size: 40,000sqm (project, as part of a larger team). |
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| 1991-1992 International competition Museum of 20th Century Art, Munich (in collaboration with Arata Isozaki, Tokyo) Size: 45,000sqm (project, as part of a larger team). |
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| 1991-1992 1st Prize in international competition Vienna Twin Towers in Vienna, Donau-City (in collaboration with Arata Isozaki, Tokyo) Lph. 1-3. Size: 50,000sqm, high rise (project, as part of a larger team). Structural consultant: Cecil Balmond, London. |
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| 1990-1991 Studio terrace for Richard Serra 'House with no style' in Goyt Valley. UK Lph. 1-2. Size: 200sqm (project). |
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| 1990-1991 Urban design 'Exhibition Centre Island Gardens' (international competition), London. Size: 10,000sqm. |
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| 1992 3rd Prize in international urban design competition Potsdamer Platz Berlin, a new centre for Berlin. (in collaboration with Arata Isozaki, Tokyo) Lph. 1-2. Size: 400,000sqm. Mixed-use project, widely exhibited and published. |
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| 1993-1994 Urban design competition for housing quarter and railway station. 'Schöneberger Kreuz/Papestrasse', Berlin. Selected for 2nd stage. Size: 300,000sqm. |
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| 1994-1996 Office and workshop building in Hartha, Sachsen. Construction costs: $4million. Lph. 1-4. Size: 2,000sqm. Commissioned up to planning approval (as part of a larger team). Widely exhibited and published. |
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| 1993-2000 Office buildings C2 and C3 at Potsdamer Platz, Linkstrasse, Berlin Tiergarten, in the masterplan of Renzo Piano Building Workshop. 4 building parts: Headquarters of the Berliner Volksbank (in partnership with Arata Isozaki, Tokyo), with shops, banking hall, conference centre, art gallery. Construction costs: $140 million. 38,000sqm (high rise). Potsdamer Platz is one of Europe's most significant urban developments in the 1990s. SL worked with his office from the initial competition (1992) until completion (2000) on this large urban project, widely exhibited and published. Steffen Lehmann was one of the influential architects working on the Potsdamer Platz developments in Berlin, from 1992 to 2002. |
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| 1998-2000 Urban Garden 'Bamboo Garden' at Potsdamer Platz, Size: 2,500sqm. |
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| 1994-1998 1st Prize competition Albertplatz Dresden, Sachsen. Multifunctional Office and shopping complex, with Headquarters of the Volksbank. Construction costs: $30 million. Lph. 1-5, commissioned up to construction documents. Size: 15,000sqm (project). |
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| 1994 - 2000 "Quartier an der Museumsinsel", Berlin Mitte. Multifunctional Office, Residential and shopping complex, with Headquarters of the Association of German Banks; 5 buildings. Construction costs: $90 million. Size: 26,000sqm (40m high rise). Steffen Lehmann was responsible for the entire project from master-planning to realisation. Widely exhibited and published. |
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| 1999 - 2000 Urban garden 'Hofgarten' at 'Quartier an der Museumsinsel', Berlin-Mitte. Size: 1,500sqm. |
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| 1994 - 1995 Runner-up in competition School Centre Barnetstrasse, Berlin. School and library complex. Lph. 1-2. Size: 20,000sqm (project). |
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| 1995 2nd prize Invited housing competition for 'Living in Hermannswerder', Potsdam (24 units in 6 buildings). Size: 8,500sqm. |
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| 1995 Honourable Mention in invited competition Torhaeuser Leipziger Platz, Berlin. Two entrance pavillions for new subway station. Lph. 1-2. Size: 1,000sqm (project, in collaboration with Arata Isozaki). |
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| 1995 Honourable Mention in invited competition Torhaeuser Leipziger Platz, Berlin. Two entrance pavillions for new subway station. Lph. 1-2. Size: 1,000sqm (project, in collaboration with Arata Isozaki). |
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| 1995 Installation AEDES Gallery, Berlin 'Hülle-Schwere-Licht' (with S. Sterf and T. Riccius)
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| 1996 Invited ideas competition Schlossplatz Mitte, Berlin; 'A museum for 365 days'. Lph. 1-2. Size: 100,000sqm ('Museum for 365 Days' project). Widely exhibited and published. |
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| 1999 - 2000 Interior fit-out of 15,000sqm office headquarters for Bundesverband Deutscher Banken, at 'Quartier an der Museumsinsel' with conference centre, Berlin Mitte. Lph. 1-9. $10million. |
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| 1996 - 1998 Garbage Burning Plant, Lph. 1-4 (commissioned up to planning approval), Cost: $200million, Size: 57,000sqm. Berlin Lichtenberg. |
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| 1997 Installation 'Breite x Höhe x Tiefe' at the Bauhaus Dessau
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| 1996-1998 "Villa T." in Oberursel, near Frankfurt a.M. Construction costs: $1.2 million. Size: 280sqm. project. Won several awards, widely exhibited and published. |
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| 1997 Robert-Koch-Hospital in Apolda. Invited feasibility study. Cost: $30million. Size: 16,000sqm. |
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| 1998 Installation 'Migration' for EIGEN+ART Gallery, Berlin (with artist Cida de Aragon).
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| 1996-1998 Modernisation and conversion of 24 historically preserved viaduct arches "S-Bahnbögen" into restaurants and shops, as Generalplaner. Lph. 1-9. Berlin Mitte. Construction costs: $8 million dollars. 2,500sqm. |
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| 1999-2001 Master-planning for renovation and extension of 'Emil-Fischer-Campus', Berlin Mitte. Hessische Strasse. Historically preserved buildings. Size: 30,000sqm. |
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| 1996 - 1998 Renovation of historically preserved building in Bergstrasse (10 units), Berlin. Construction costs: $1.5 million. 500sqm. Lph. 1-9, as Generalplaner |
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| 1998 Loft conversion and interior fit-out, Philippistrasse, Berlin Charlottenburg. Construction costs: $0.2 million. 220sqm. Widely exhibited and published. |
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| 1999 Installation for "plan'99" Cologne, in warehouse Halle 11: 'City surfaces' - interactive projections. |
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| 1997-2002 New Embassy of France, at Pariser Platz in Berlin Mitte, as Generalplaner in cooperation with Christian de Portzamparc, Paris. Construction costs: $80 million. Lph. 3-9 as Generalplaner. 21,000sqm, incl. the ambassador's residence, a cultural centre, and 10 apartments. Steffen Lehmann worked with his office directly for the French Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Paris) on this prestigious commission, in collaboration with K-S Ingenieure GmbH. Widely exhibited and published. |
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The international collaboration on the project "New Embassy of France in Berlin" was shared between the offices, as follows: Christian de Portzamparc (Paris) and Generalplaner ARGE Steffen Lehmann Architekten GmbH & Kappes-Scholz Ingenieure GmbH (Berlin). Split between the offices:
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| 1998 Invited Competition: Secondary School Complex, Rutesheim/Leonberg. Size: 16,000sqm. |
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| 1999 Invited urban design competition Highrise "Max Tower: Endless Column " (250m highrise), Frankfurt am Main. Lph. 1-2. Size: 40,000sqm (project). Widely exhibited and published. |
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| 1998 Torstrasse Lofts Berlin, conversion and extension of two historically preserved buildings, with 30 loft units (commissioned study). Lph. 1-3. Size: 7,000sqm. |
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| 1999 - 2001 Loft Living at Rheinauhafen Cologne, conversion and extension of historically preserved warehouse 'Halle 11', with 75 loft units (commissioned study). Lph. 1-3. Size: 16,000sqm. |
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| 2000 - 2001 New railway station and shopping complex: redevelopment HH-Altona, Hamburg Altona (commissioned urban study). Lph. 1-2. Size: 120,000sqm. |
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| 2000 - 2003 'City Hotel' Chausseestrasse, 3-star hotel with conference facilities and apartments, Berlin Mitte. Construction costs: $24 million. Lph. 1-5, commissioned up to construction documents. Size: 10,000sqm, 140 rooms. |
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| 2000 - 2002 Extension and alteration of 1950s office building at Savignyplatz, Berlin Charlottenburg. Cost: $3 million. Lph. 1-3. Size: 4,000sqm. |
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| 2001 Lighting Design series 'Brasilia' for Selux, Berlin. Launched at lighting fair in Cologne and in series production. |
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| 2001 - 2002 Renovation of art gallery 'Galerie Deschler', Augustrasse, Berlin Mitte. Construction costs: $0.1 million. Lph. 1-4, as part of a larger team. Size: 300sqm. |
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| 2002 Installation 'Urbanity & Anonymity' for EIGEN+ART Gallery, Berlin (with artist Cida de Aragon) |
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| 2001 - 2002 Alteration of buildings C2 and C3 at Potsdamer Platz to "Haus der Genossenschaften", interior fit-out of office buildings. Berlin Tiergarten. Alteration costs: $20 million. 18,000sqm. |
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| 2000 - 2002 'Zoopassage' Kantstrasse Berlin, mixed-use complex with 4-star hotel (240 rooms) and shopping, car parking; commissioned study. Lph. 1-4, commissioned up tp planning approval. Size: 35,000sqm, 60m high rise (project). |
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| 2001 - 2004 Renovation and extension of historically preserved complex at Oberwasserstrasse, Berlin Mitte, for the Auswaertiges Amt, German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lph. 1-6, as Generalplaner. Construction costs: $14 million. Size: 7,000sqm. Widely published and exhibited. |
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| 2001 - 2003 Renovation and extension of historically preserved office complex at Rolandufer, Berlin Mitte (building by L. Hoffmann, 1908). Lph. 1-3. Construction costs: $14 million. Size: 15,000sqm. |
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| 2001 Invited competition roof and extension for sports complex, St. Ingbert. Reorganisation of an existing swimming hall, etc. underneath a geometrically irregular roof structure. Lph. 1-2. Size: 10,000sqm (project). |
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| 2002 - 2003 Invited competition Islamic Cultural Centre and Mosque, on 'The Palm' Jumeirah, Dubai. Lph. 1-2. Size: 10,000sqm (project, in collaboration with G. Katodrytis and K. Al Najjar). |
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| 2003 Installation 'move on' at QUT, Brisbane |
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 2002 - 2005 Grouping of 3 houses 'villa-type' (total 12 units) at Eichenallee, Berlin Charlottenburg. Construction costs: $6million. Lph. 1-4, commissioned up to planning approval. Generalplaner. Size: 1,800sqm. |
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| 2001-2002 Invited urban design competition Stuttgart-Zazenhausen: master plan for 500 units. Ecological houses made from pre-fab concrete and timber: community facilities. Size: 100,000sqm. |
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| 2004 Installation 'Surveillance 1' on Goodwill Bridge, Brisbane (with Cida de Aragon and Phil Heywood) |
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| 2004 Beach house 'Floating Box above a Bamboo Garden' at the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Construction costs: $1 million. Lph. 1-3 (with Joe Adsett). Size: 250sqm (project) |
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| 2005 - 2006 3rd Prize in invited competition 'e-Learning Centre and Library', for Charles Sturt University at Thurgoona, Albury (New South Wales). Size: 2,500sqm (project, in collaboration with Suters Architects, Sydney / Newcastle) |
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| 2005 Urban design competition 'Sydney: East Darling Harbour'. Size: 22 hectares waterfront site, incl 11 hectares open space, 400,00sqm (runner-up entry stage 1; in collaboration with Suters Architects, Sydney / Newcastle, and Sir Michael Wilford, London) |
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| 2008 'Surveillance 2' site-specific installations, in collaboration with artist Cida de Aragon. |
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| 2007-2009 1st Prize in invited competition Taree Waterfront Master Plan, NSW. SL is Urban Design Leader. Lph. 1-3, with Suters Architects, ARUP Sustainability, McGregor Landscape. Size: 20 ha mixed-use development (commissioned with further development 2008/09); $200 mill. in stages. The first carbon-neutral urban development in Australia. |
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| 2007-2008 Selected for project, artist Cida de Aragon in collaboration with Steffen Lehmann; Women's Suffrage Memorial, Brisbane (for Inner Northern Busway development). A memorial to commemorate 100 years Women's vote in Queensland. Lph. 1-5, with EDAW Landscape Architects. Size: 3 pre-cast concrete panels with back-lit glass screens. Construction costs $120,000 (built, inaugurated June 2008). Exhibited at 11th Architectural Biennale in Venice, Sept.-Nov. 2008. |
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| 2008 Installation 'wasted!' at Newcastle Region Art Gallery (with Cida de Aragon, Ian Moore, Richard Vella); part of the Back to the City project. |
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| 2009 Appointed as master planner, following selection process, as part of a larger team Mildura Riverfront Central Precinct Masterplan, VIC. Lph. 1-3 Concept plans, with Suters Architects, ARUP Sustainability, McGregor+Partners Landscape Architects. Size: 15 ha mixed-use development; project value: $120 million. Client: Mildura Rural City Council. |
design philosophy
projects and