GRAFT was established in 1998 in Los Angeles by Lars Krückeberg, Wolfram Putz and Thomas Willemeit. Further offices followed in Berlin in 2001 and Beijing in 2004. Conceived as a studio for architecture, urban planning, design, music and the pursuit of happiness, GRAFT has been commissioned to design and manage a wide range of projects across multiple disciplines and in numerous locations since its establishment.
JournalEssay
They were outstanding art collectors, patrons and philanthropists and shaped the artistic life of Berlin and Germany during the imperial era with their commitment: the Jewish benefactors Johanna and Eduard Arnhold. The National Socialists erased their names from public memory, but a Berlin initiative is now working to right this wrong. In 2021, GRAFT founder Lars Krückeberg was comissioned by the initiative to design a memorial for the couple and the German-Jewish bourgeoisie in the Tiergarten district.
JournalEssay
Since its founding as a studio for architecture, urban planning, design, music and the pursuit of happiness, music has been an integral part of GRAFT’s company culture. Music, as a universal language, brings people together and spans national and cultural boundaries. The artistic expression represented by the interplay of multiple musical parts transcends individual perspectives. Consequently, the transformation of polyphony into harmony can be seen as a goal of music. From the early music-making days of GRAFT’s founders through architectural metaphors drawing on set design, scenography and performance to the ‘architectural jam sessions’ that have been part of the company’s design process since the very beginning, creating the winning entry for the Carl Bechstein Campus in Berlin brings this world of reference full circle.
