In 1989 architects Matthias Sauerbruch and Lisa Hutton won the competition for an office building in Berlin, on a site located near Checkpoint Charlie. The recently completed final structure reacts with sensitivity to the historic structures located nearby, and has become a landmark in itself. It is also eco-friendly, using natural ventilation instead of air conditioning. This volume is an extensive collection of documents from all phases of the project.

The close relationship between the British and German architectural scenes -- developed over two centuries -- is a showcase for the work of British architects working in Germany. This stunning volume, published to coincide with the opening in July 2000 of the new British Embassy in Berlin designed by Michael Wilford, celebrates the range and excellence of new British architecture in Germany as an ongoing success. Since the 18th century, British architectural life has been enriched by great German figures such as Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the architects Gropius, and Mendelsohn, and the architectural critic Nikolaus Pevsner. British architecture, in the fullest sense of the term, arrived in Germany in 1977 when the London partnership of Stirling and Wilford won the competition for the new art gallery in Stuttgart. This milestone set the scene for British architects and German clients to work together consistently, producing a model for international cooperation, as well as a series of stunning buildings.

Looking to the future, Intelligent Skins sets out the principles for the design of the intelligent building envelope. It highlights an exciting new approach to the area, where the fabric of the building responds to external changes and internal demands. The prime objective is to control internal environments through a responsive building fabric rather than by energy consuming building services systems. The authors examine the potential for integral intelligence within the fabric of the building and explore the evolution of information technology and smart materials which have allowed a whole new category of design principles to be created.

This compendium offers a new insight into the work of Sauerbruch Hutton. The development of their architectural thinking can be traced completely from the texts of the architects, the considerable number of unimplemented designs, and realized or under construction projects, such as: the GSW headquarters in Berlin, the Federal Environment Agency in Dessau or the Museum for the Brandhorst Collection in Munich. On one hand, the book provides a far-reaching overview, and on the other hand it makes clear how each project was individually developed out of its structural and social context, and how the respective forms emerge from functional, technical, spatial and sculptural considerations. The book reveals how Sauerbruch Hutton understands their work as a process of continuous research. In doing so, the focus of sustainability repeatedly appears throughout the book as an integral part of their interest. In addition, the architects have developed their own language, which is recognizable by the spatial use of color and material as well as their organic corporeality.