Kristin Feireiss, Founder of the Aedes Architecture Forum, Passes Away at 82Save this picture!Kristin Feireiss, Founder of the Aedes Architecture Forum. Image © Erik-Jan Ouwerkerk via Aedes Architecture Forum, under policy of fair useKristin Feireiss, the German architecture curator, writer, and editor, passed away on April 20, 2025. With a career spanning over four decades, Feireiss played a significant role in promoting international public discourse on architecture, urban development, and social change.Born in 1942, Feireiss studied art history and philosophy at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. In 1980, she co-founded the "Aedes Architecture Forum" in Berlin with Helga Retzer, establishing Europe's first private architecture gallery. After Retzer's passing in 1984, Feireiss continued to develop Aedes into an internationally recognized platform. Since 1994, in collaboration with Hans-Jürgen Commerell, she curated over 350 exhibitions and catalogues, expanding the forum's reach and impact. In 2009, the duo also founded "ANCB The Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory," which received the German Innovation Prize in 2010. Save this picture! The complexity of agglomeration and city attracted me from the very beginning although the subject was quite abstract and difficult to exhibit in a stimulating way for the public. Though the topics of the exhibitions were often about architectural projects, there was an immediate kind of 'natural demand' to discuss it in the context of the city. An architect is only one actor on the stage of the city. - Kristin Feireiss, in an interview for Archaily. Related Article Kristin Feireiss on the 40 Years of Aedes, Women Empowerment and the Future of Architecture Feireiss contributed to urban discourse through both curatorial and institutional work. In 1989, she was commissioned by the cities of Berlin and Paris to develop the exhibition "Paris – Architecture and Utopia," which gained international attention. She served as director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi) from 1996 to 2001, where she emphasized the role of architecture in urban transformation and led research on evolving cityscapes. She was also the commissioner of the Dutch Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale in Venice in 1996 and 2000, and served on the International Jury in 2012.Save this picture! The future of architecture? In my opinion and based on my experience, the time of the so-called star architects belongs to the past, even if there are always going to be master-minds in architecture with a strong impact on the next generation. The upcoming generation of architects, now and in the future, is aware of the fact that because of the continuously growing complexity of architecture and the built environment, architecture can only be approached successfully through interdisciplinary teamwork. - Kristin Feireiss, in an interview for Archaily Save this picture!Feireiss's contributions also include serving as a member of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize jury, highlighting her influence in recognizing and honoring significant contributions to the field. Moreover, she was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit by the German government in 2001 in recognition of her efforts in enhancing the cultural landscape of architecture. was knighted in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2013, and received the Austrian Honorary Cross for Science and Culture in 2016. She became an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and a member of various prestigious boards and councils, including the European Cultural Parliament and the Architecture Association of Germany, BDA, Berlin.She co-developed with Hans-Jürgen Commerell the Zumtobel Group Award: Innovation for Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment in 2006, curating it till the end. Her editorial work includes exhibition publiscations such as "Blank. Architecture, Apartheid and After" (1998) and "Japan: Towards Totalscape" (2001). Her recent books include "Transforming Cities. Urban Interventions in Public Space" (2015) and "Architecture in Times of Need" (2009) underscore her focus on how architectural interventions can drive sustainable and social change.Save this picture!Her work continually emphasized the importance of education in architecture, imparting a profound understanding of the built environment's role in societal development. Through her work, Feireiss focused on the intersections of architecture, society, and culture, advocating for broader public engagement in architectural practice. Her initiatives consistently promoted cross-cultural exchange and interdisciplinary dialogue, leaving a lasting influence. Image gallerySee allShow less About this authorReyyan DoganAuthor••• Cite: Reyyan Dogan. "Kristin Feireiss, Founder of the Aedes Architecture Forum, Passes Away at 82" 22 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1029348/kristin-feireiss-founder-of-the-aedes-architecture-forum-passes-away-at-82&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream