felix löchner reveals pristine interiors of berlin federal library

felix löchner reveals pristine interiors of berlin federal library
‘federal library berlin’ by HG merz architekten photographed by felix löchner

architectural photography is a powerful tool that has the ability to convey a space, a form, or a detail as something much more. it serves as a translation and alternative means of representing the physically realized concepts from the minds of designers. similar to the scenery of a landscape painting, each composition finds its beauty in the sum of its parts. as such, many practitioners take hours at a time to capture multiple images with different light characteristics that will eventually be combined during post processing to create a single captivating photo. following the success of his previous projects, germany-based artist felix löchner has revealed a series of images that do just this, by exposing the interiors of ‘berlin federal library’ by HG merz architekten.

expanded view of the reading room
photo © felix löchner

situated within an existing building constructed from world war II, the facility is enclosed by a three-layer façade of glass and translucent textures. thus, the photographs to present themselves as a balanced combination of ambient luminance from the exterior and architectural architectural lighting provided by fixtures on the interior. löchner uses this feature to hightlight the rectilinear volume of the main reading room as it is lined with three levels of book stacks on all sides and bisected by a grand staircase leading from the entry and reception desk. other portraits include the intricacies of the wood seating arrangements that compliment the warm color palette, the circulation that surrounds the main study area, and secondary programs signified by a clean coat of white paint.

detail of the seating area
photo © felix löchner

looking down the second floor book stacks
photo © felix löchner

looking along the short axis of the main space
photo © felix löchner

interior of the private collections
photo © felix löchner

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