Architect of Berlin Central Station: Meinhard von Gerkan is dead

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Architect von Gerkan: in demand worldwide

Photo: Uwe Anspach / picture alliance / dpa

His trademark are light-flooded rooms made of glass and steel, his GMP office is one of the world's leading ones: now the architect Meinhard von Gerkan has died at the age of 87.

His most famous buildings include the Berlin Central Station and the Berlin-Brandenburg and Tegel Airports.

His office GMP (Gerkan, Marg und Partner), which he managed together with Volkwin Marg, with branches all over the world, is considered the most successful German architecture office with an international reputation.

In addition to airports, museums, bridges and stadiums in Germany, the office has also realized numerous buildings abroad.

With Lingang New City near Shanghai, a completely new city was created on the drawing board.

Gerkan was born on January 3, 1935 in Riga, Latvia.

First he studied law and physics in Hamburg, then decided to study architecture in Berlin.

Here he also met his future partner Volkwin Marg;

together both went to the TU Braunschweig.

After graduating, the two founded their world-renowned office GMP in Hamburg.

football stadiums and museums

A success story followed.

Today, more than 400 employees worldwide work for the office, which has won numerous first prizes in competitions and completed more than 370 buildings.

In addition to football stadiums in South Africa and Brazil, the office is primarily active in the Far East.

Exhibition and congress centers, the National Museum in Beijing and the National Parliament in Hanoi are being built here.

In addition to numerous awards, both architects received the "Grand Prize of the Association of German Architects" for their life's work in 2005.

feb/dpa