In the words of art historian and art critic Hal Foster, “In the end Barkow Leibinger are bricoleurs as much as they are engineers. There is always an element of inspired performance in bricolage. And as the greatest philosophers in German aesthetics tell us, such play (Spiel) is also essential to art; it opens up a realm for an imaginative response to any question. In the end, this is what Barkow Leibinger offer us all: Spielraum, room for play, space for invention.”

In 1993 Frank Barkow and Regine Leibinger founded their practice in Berlin, which can be characterized by the interaction of practice, research and teaching. Their interdisciplinary, discursive attitude allows their work to expand and respond to advancing knowledge and technology. This approach cultivates an integrated strategy with engineering which enhances and develops both preexisting and new infrastructure toward a unified whole. 

Current U.S. developments include Harvard University’s ArtLab and a student dormitory for Sid Richardson College at Rice University. Recently completed projects include the Trumpf Smart Factory in Chicago and the Fellows Pavilion for the American Academy in Berlin. Current research projects have focused on digital fabrication, timber prefabrication, infra-lightweight concrete, facade systems, space-frames, and ceramic elements. They have won five National AIA Honor Awards for Architecture (just recently in January 2019 for the Trumpf Smart Factory in Chicago) and a Global Holcim Innovation Award for sustainability as well as various German Architecture Awards.

The American founder of the architectural practice in Berlin, Barkow Leibinger, Frank is also a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. His pragmatic approach embraces design in a discursive way which allows the firm’s work to respond to advancing knowledge and technology. He is a dedicated educator and lecturer, having taught at Cornell, Harvard University and is currently a visiting professor at Princeton University. 

Frank Barkow will be introduced by Professor Thorsten Helbig. This event is open to current Cooper Union students, faculty, and staff. 

View the full Spring 2019 Lectures and Events List.