HHF Architects is an architectural practice established in Basel, Switzerland by Tilo Herlach, Simon Hartmann, and Simon Frommenwiler, in 2003.
History
The practice has built projects in Switzerland, China, Germany, France, Mexico and the United States. Their projects encompass a broad spectrum, including new buildings like the "Labels 2"morgenpost.de: "Modezentrum Labels Berlin 2 geht an den Start" (German) Retrieved October 2, 2018 fashion center in Berlin, interior design, planning tasks like the master plans for the public spaces of the Praille-Acacias-Vernets site in Geneva and La Défense, near Paris, and the development plan for Unterfeld in Zug, Switzerland, as well as objects in the public realm like "Baby Dragon" in China or the "Espinazo del Diablo" viewing platform on the "Ruta del Peregrino" in the Mexican state of Jalisco. HHF Architects intentionally seek close and substantive collaboration with artists and other architects. It is within this context that group projects receiving worldwide attention have emerged, such as the Mexican pilgrimage route "Ruta del Peregrino"uncubemagazine.com: "Ruta del Peregrino, Iwan Baan's impressions of Mexico's most famous pilgrimage route" Retrieved October 2, 2018 and the fruitful collaboration with the Chinese conceptual artist Ai Weiwei, which has been ongoing since 2005.
Shortly after of the office was established, the first works were already being shown at national and international architecture exhibitions. In 2005 HHF were invited to design a contribution to the "Jinhua Architecture and Arts Park" for the Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture.Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism / Architecture 2011 Retrieved October 2, 2018 An invitation followed in 2007 to officially represent Switzerland at the 7th International Architecture Biennale of São Paulo.Official Swiss contribution to the International Architecture Biennale in São Paulo (German) Retrieved October 2, 2018 In 2011 the works created in collaboration with Ai Weiwei were shown as part of the exhibition Ai Weiwei – Art / Architecture at Kunsthaus Bregenz in Austria. The German Architecture MuseumDeutsches Architektur Museum (DAM) Retrieved October 2, 2018 (DAM) in Frankfurt am Main showed "Labels 2" in 2012 as part of the exhibition The 23 Best Buildings. HHF was invited to the 13th, 14th and 16th Venice Biennale of Architecture, and the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2017. Their work is part of the permanent collections of Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Architekturmuseum of the Technical University of Munich at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, and the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.
Alongside numerous other national and international distinctions, HHF was named to the "Design Vanguard 2010" by Architectural Record.architecturalrecord.com: "Design Vanguard 2010" Retrieved October 2, 2018 In 2012, HHF were distinguished with an important Wallpaper Design Award, for which they had also been nominated in 2010. HHF where honored with an American Architecture Award in 2009 and 2013.
In addition to building, architectural education is of utmost importance to the firm's principals. They were visiting professors at the University of Innsbruck, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, MIT School of Architecture and Planning in Cambridge, and have been guest lecturers at the UIA in Mexico City as well as guest critics at numerous universities worldwide. Simon Frommenwiler has been teaching as a visiting professor at École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Strasbourg from 2011 until 2018. Simon Hartmann has been teaching as professor of design at the HTA Fribourg from 2009 until 2017 and is William Henry Bishop Visiting Professor at Yale School of Architecture, 2018. Since fall 2018, Tilo Herlach, Simon Frommenwiler and Simon Hartmann are teaching at Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Profile Established 2003 Legal form: GmbH Partners: Tilo Herlach, Simon Hartmann, Simon Frommenwiler Managing Director and Associate: Cella Hubel Associates: David Gregori y Ribes, Mariana Santana Employees: 25–30 (as of September 2018) The team consists of architects, urban designers, designers and drafters
Buildings and projects (selected) 2017 – Poissy Galore, observatory and museum in Carrières-Sous-Poissy, Paris, France, in collaboration with AWP, Paris 2016 – House H, private residence, Starnberg, Germany 2016 – Byfangweg, apartment building, Basel, Switzerland 2015 – Lichtstrasse, housing and restaurant, Basel, Switzerland 2013 – House C, private residence, Ziefen, Switzerland 2013 – Master plan for all public spaces of La Défense, Hauts-de-Seine, France, in collaboration with AWP, Paris 2011 – Master plan for the public spaces and urban mobility, Praille-Acacias-Vernets, Geneva, Switzerland 2011 – House D, Nuglar, Switzerland 2011 – Guesthouse, Ancram, New York, USA, in collaboration with Ai Weiwei 2011 – Apartment Quai de Valmy, Paris, France, in collaboration with AWP, Paris 2010 – Lookout Point on the Ruta del Peregrino, Mexico 2010 – Labels 2 Fashion Center, Berlin, Germany 2009 – Sonvida residential development, Bottmingen, Switzerland, with ARchos Architektur 2009 – Confiserie Bachmann, Basel, Switzerland 2008 – Artfarm, gallery and art storage for Chambers Fine Art, New York, USA, in collaboration with Ai Weiwei 2008 – Tsai Residence, New York, USA, in collaboration with Ai Weiwei 2008 – Overall urban concept for Saarbrücken, Germany, in collaboration with Hans Wirz, Jacques Degermann, and Joel Bertrand 2008 – Grand Traiano Art Complex, Grottaferrata, Province of Rome, Italy, in collaboration with Johnston Marklee Architects 2008 – Ordos 100, HHF House, Inner Mongolia, China 2008 – Kirschgarten Mensa, cafeteria in Kirschgarten secondary school, Basel, Switzerland 2007 – Dune House, Inner Mongolia, China 2005 – Treehouse, Guesthouse for the Waterville Golf Resort, Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China, in collaboration with Ai Weiwei (shell construction) 2005 – Baby Dragon – Pavilion for children, Jinhua Architecture Park, China 2003 – Master plan for Sonvida residential development, Bottmingen, Switzerland, in collaboration with ARchos Architektur
Distinctions (selected) 2018 – Winner of the ArchiDesignClub Award for the French Cultural Building of the Year 2017 – Inclusion in the architecture collection of the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh 2016 – Nomination for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture "Mies van der Rohe Award" 2015 – Swiss Architecture Award, 1st Prize, in the category Housing 2014 – Inclusion in the collection of the Architecture Museum of the Technical University of Munich, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany 2014 – Nomination for the best single family house ("Das beste Einfamilienhaus" '14) by the Swiss magazine "Das ideale Heim" 2013 – Award for excellent architecture from Kanton Basel-Landschaft, Kanton Basel-Stadt 2013 – Award for the best new building from the Basel Heritage Protection 2013 – Architekturpreis Berlin, Germany 2013 – American Architecture Award for Guesthouse, Ancram, NY, USA 2013 – 1. Prize, buildings of the year 2013 award ("Häuser des Jahres 2013") by the German Architecture Museum and Callwey Verlag 2013 – Best Architects 14 Award bestarchitects.de: „Award for House D” Retrieved October 2, 2018 2012 – WAN 21 for 21 Award wantoday.com: WAN 21for21 Awards 2012 – Winners Announced Retrieved October 2, 2018 2012 – AIT-Award 2012 for Public Buildings 2012 – Wallpaper (magazine) Design Awardwallpaper.com: „Wallpaper Award – Life-enhancer of The Year“ (PDF; 245 KB) Retrieved October 2, 2018 2012 – Nomination for Velux Daylight Award 2011 – Inclusion in the collection Centre Georges Pompidou 2010 – Design Vanguard Award 2010 (Chernikov Prize) 2010 – Swiss Art Awards 2010 Winner 2010 – Best Architects 11 Award bestarchitects.de: Award for Labels II Retrieved October 2, 2018 2010 – Wallpaper (magazine) Design Award, nomination 2010 – Contractworld Award 2009 – American Architecture Award for Tsai Residence, Ancram, NY, USA 2009 – Best Architects 10 Gold Award bestarchitects.de: Best Architects 10 Gold Award for Artfarm, Salt Point, NY, USA“ Retrieved October, 2018 2008 – Europe 40 under 40 award, European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studieschi-athenaeum.org: Europe 40 under 40 Award, European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies Retrieved October, 2018 2008 – Award for Best Architects 09 from the magazine Hochparterre, Swiss television and the Museum für Gestaltung (Museum for Design), Zurich 2008 – Gold Award for excellent architecture from Kanton Basel-Landschaft, Kanton Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland 2008 – Best Architects 09 award bestarchitects.de: Best Architects 09 Award for Kirschgarten Mensa, Basel, Switzerland” Retrieved October 2, 2018
Exhibitions (selected) 2018 – Contribution to the Luxembourg Pavilion, The architecture of a common ground, 16th Venice Biennale of Architecture, Venice, Italy 2017 – Chicago Architecture Biennial, Chicago, United States 2017 – Swiss Architects Abroad, S AM Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel 2016 – Topotek 1: Exhibition/Munich, Architekturgalerie München, Munich 2016 – Schweizweit, S AM Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel 2015 – The Swiss Architecture Award, Zurich, Switzerland 2015 – Architettura in Svizzera. Dialogo tra storia e contemporaneità, Chiostro di Palazzo Platamone, Catania, Italy 2015 – Sacri Monti e altre storie Architettura, Milan Triennale, Castello di Masnago, Varese, Italy 2015 – Constructing Film. Swiss Architecture in the Moving Image, S AM Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel, Switzerland 2015 – Une histoire, art, architecture et design, des années 80 à aujourd'hui, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France 2014 – HHF—Unfinished, Architekturgalerie Munich, Germany 2014 – Architecture Week Prague, Czech Republic 2014 – Co-Curation of the Montenegro Pavilion, 14th Venice Biennale of Architecture, Venice, Italy 2014 – Greek Tourism is not in Crisis, contribution to the Greek Pavilion, 14th Venice Biennale of Architecture, Venice, Italy 2014 – CANactions 2014, Kiew, Ukraine 2014 – Show and Tell – Architekturgeschichte(n) aus der Sammlung, Pinakothek der Moderne, Architecture Museum of the Technical University of Munich 2013 – Cut'n'Paste: From Architectural Assemblage to Collage City, MOMA, New York, United States 2013 – Lookout Architecture with a View, S AM Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel, Switzerland 2013 – Buildings of the Year 2013, German Architecture Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 2013 – Architekturpreis Berlin 2013, Labels 2, Kutscherhaus, Berlin, Germany 2013 – 14. Internationale Architektur Biennale Buenos Aires, Argentina 2013 – La Défense 2020, exhibition, Cœur Défense, Parvis de La Défense, Hauts-de-Seine, France 2013 – Monografische Ausstellung, presentation Unterfeld, Baar, Switzerland 2013 – Daueraustellung, Pavillon de l'Arsenal, Paris, France 2013 – Paris la nuit, Pavillon de l'Arsenal, Paris, France 2013 – Building Images, Photography Focusing on Swiss Architecture, S AM Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel, Switzerland 2013 – White Cube, Green Maze: New Art Landscapes, Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, United States 2012 – GLOBAL Design NYU London, The Building Centre, London, UK 2012 – White Cube, Green Maze: New Art Landscapes, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, United States 2012 – Invitation to the 13th Venice Biennale of Architecture, Italy 2012 – WAN 21 for 21 awards exhibition, London, UK 2012 – Ai Weiwei's Five Houses, AIA Architecture Center Houston, United States 2012 – Die 23 besten Bauten in Deutschland, German Architecture Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 2011 – Participation in the exhibition Tatiana Bilbao, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France 2011 – Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria