Stephan Braunfels facts for kids

Stephan Braunfels (born August 1, 1950) is a famous German architect. He designs amazing buildings. He is known for creating modern and important structures, especially in Germany.

Meet Stephan Braunfels: A German Architect

Stephan Braunfels was born on August 1, 1950. He studied architecture at the Technical University of Munich. In 1975, he finished his studies. Three years later, in 1978, he opened his own architecture office in Munich. Did you know he is the grandson of a famous composer named Walter Braunfels?

How Stephan Braunfels Started His Career

Stephan Braunfels showed his talent early on. He won his first design competition. He also created ideas for how to improve cities, especially Munich. These ideas were so good that they were shown in an exhibition in 1987. This show was at the German Architecture Museum in Frankfurt am Main.

From 1991 to 1993, he helped the city of Dresden. He designed a big plan to rebuild the old city center. In 1996, he opened another office in Berlin.

Stephan Braunfels' Most Famous Buildings

Stephan Braunfels has designed some very important buildings. Many of these are large and well-known in Germany.

The cool round entrance hall of the Pinakothek der Moderne museum in Munich.

The Paul-Löbe-Haus in Berlin, right by the Spree river.

Designing the Pinakothek der Moderne Museum

After working on projects in Munich and Dresden, Braunfels won several big design contests. One of his first major wins was in 1992. He won the competition to design the Pinakothek der Moderne museum in Munich.

It took ten years to build this huge museum. It finally opened in late 2002. It became one of the biggest new museums in Germany. People loved the building, and Braunfels won many awards for it.

A writer named Peter Schjeldahl described the museum in a newspaper. He said it was a "big but self-effacing" building. This means it's large but doesn't show off. Outside, it looks like a simple box. But inside, it's a "dream" of bright, white rooms. These rooms branch off from a tall, round main hall. He said the museum felt full of light. People were happy visiting it.

Buildings for the German Parliament

In 1994, Braunfels won another big competition. He designed the Paul Löbe Haus. This building is 81,000 square meters! It holds offices and meeting rooms for the German Parliament. It opened in 2001 and is a very important building in Berlin.

In 1996, he won yet another prize. This was for the Marie Elisabeth Lüders Haus. This building is 65,000 square meters. It also has offices, a library, and storage for the German Parliament. It opened in 2003 and was also highly praised.

These three huge projects helped make Stephan Braunfels a very important architect in Germany. They were some of the biggest buildings built in Germany after the Cold War.

Other Buildings and Projects by Stephan Braunfels

Stephan Braunfels has worked on many different projects. Here are some of them:

Completed Projects

• Ulm Department Store, Ulm (2007)
• Ulm Headquarters Sparkasse, Ulm (2007)
• Restaurant Tantris, Munich (2005)
• Marie Elisabeth Lüders Haus, Berlin (2003)
• Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (2002)
• Paul Löbe Haus, Berlin (2001)
• Museum Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, Kassel (2000)
• Atrium Rosegardens, Dresden (1997)
• Masterplan Altstadtring, Dresden (1992)
• Redesign Marienhof, Munich (1987)

Projects Still Being Worked On

• Extension German Parliament, Berlin
• Federal Archives, Berlin
• Glacis Terraces, Neu Ulm

Awards and Honors for Stephan Braunfels

Stephan Braunfels has received many awards for his amazing work. Here are some of them:

• 2008 – DA! Architecture made in Berlin Prize
• 2007 – Bauherrenpreis Baden-Württemberg Award
• 2006 – German Urban Design Award
• 2006 – International Prize Dedalo Minosse for the Marie Elisabeth Lüders Haus
• 2004 – BDA Prize Bavaria for the Pinakothek der Moderne
• 2003 – Deutscher Architekturpreis Award for the Pinakothek der Moderne
• 2003 – Gold Medal "München Leuchtet"
• 2003 – Nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award
• 2002 – AZ Star of the Year for the Pinakothek der Moderne
• 1994 – Deutscher Kritikerpreis