“Unparalleled ambassador of building culture” On the passing of Kristin Feireiss-Commerell

Technische Universität Braunschweig mourns the loss of its honorary doctor Kristin Feireiss-Commerell, who has significantly shaped architectural discourse in Germany and beyond for decades. With her intelligent, tireless work mediating between architecture, the public and academia, she set new standards.

Kristin Feireiss-Commerell. Photo credits: Mike Fröhling

With the founding of the AEDES Architecture Gallery in Berlin in 1980, Kristin Feireiss-Commerell created a platform that not only highlighted national and international architectural trends, but above all promoted dialogue about building as a cultural, social and political practice. Under her leadership, the AEDES gallery – in collaboration with Hans Jürgen Commerell since the 1990s – developed into the world’s first architecture forum of its kind at various locations in Berlin and continues to offer intelligently curated exhibitions and debates with personalities from all over the world.

Her particular talent lay not only in her content-related and scientific research work, but also in her ability to highlight social contexts. As director of the Nederlands Architectuurinstituut in Rotterdam, as well as a guest lecturer, juror and author, she was deeply committed to promoting an interdisciplinary, globally oriented debate on architecture and urban planning. With her intelligent and tireless mediation work, she brought together actors from architecture, politics, culture and science to set new standards in architectural discourse through interdisciplinary debates.

As an “incomparable ambassador of building culture,” Kristin Feireiss-Commerell was a bridge builder between institutions, disciplines and people. In 2007, Technische Universität Braunschweig awarded her an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences on the initiative of Professor Karin Wilhelm.

With the AEDES CAMPUS NETWORK Berlin, she worked closely with TU Braunschweig to promote exchange between students and teachers through workshops, joint exhibitions and other initiatives: she opened doors, initiated discussions and strengthened the international reputation of our technical university with great ease. The honorary doctorate from TU Braunschweig and all other honours, such as the recent Fritz Schumacher Prize for Urban Design and Building Culture, recognised not only her achievements but also her attitude: openness, independence and intellectual curiosity. In this attitude, Kristin Feireiss-Commerell remains a role model – for the university, for the academic world, for architecture.

On behalf of the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences
Department of Architecture

Prof. Almut Grüntuch-Ernst
Prof. Dr. phil. Karin Wilhelm