Real Montages. Architectural Elements in the Open

The design project “Real montages - outdoor components” was carried out in the summer semester 2023 at the Chair of Design at the Technical University of Munich. The declared aim was the conception, planning down to the last detail and the structural realization of temporary architectural installations that dealt with the architecture of the Old South Cemetery in Munich, in particular the structural additions by the architect Hans Döllgast from the 1950s.

The design project “Real Montages – Architectural Elements in the Open” prompts deeper critical reflection on the importance of engaging with and responding to existing structures, particularly in an era when the reuse and transformation of buildings dominate public discourse. It reminds us that every architectural action holds meaning, with the power to evoke memories and experiences, enabling individuals to connect to a larger cultural fabric that interweaves distant times and places. 

The students’ observations reveal the time they spent closely studying the distinctive qualities of selected locations within Munich’s Old South Cemetery. The incisiveness of their minimal interventions demonstrates a precision and elegance reminiscent of Gaston Bachelard‘s reflections on the miniature – where even the smallest detail can be “the sign of a new world, which, like all worlds, contains the attributes of greatness.” The tools they employed were simple: a rope, a square sheet of metal, a long strip of lightweight textile, and a shallow, square pool of water. Yet, the experiences they revealed are universal. 

The jury recognised the remarkable value of the project’s pedagogical approach, which teaches students to truly “see” the world we live in – an especially important skill in an age dominated by the fleeting illusions of social media – and acknowledged the value of creating beauty with almost nothing.