Matthias Hollwich’s time at university was seminal, marked by his natural curiosity. He often wondered what it would be like to contribute to the creation of things that people actually use. Yet it was a summer program that changed his trajectory in a way he could have never imagined. After applying for the three-week course, and initially receiving a rejection, Hollwich convinced his professor to allow him to participate.
The classes in Venice, Italy were abstract and poetic, the antithesis of the traditional educational system in Germany, his home country. While most of his classmates spent time at the beach, Hollwich was working day and night in the studio on concepts and models, with guidance from guest instructor Ricardo Scofidio, partner at Diller Scofidio + Renfro. “He became my teacher, speaking about abstract ideas in architecture, challenging me to explore,” says Hollwich.
Just three weeks after Hollwich’s return from his sojourn, he received a phone call from Scofidi telling him to report for work at the New York-based firm (then Diller + Scofidio) in 48 hours. After additional stints at Eisenman Architects and OMA with Rem Koolhaas, Hollwich founded HWKN in 2008.
Hollwich and his team emphasize maximum human engagement, ecological innovation, and technological exploration, which includes artificial intelligence. Even with the current debate centered on AI, Hollwich is fascinated by all of the possibilities. How it may impact our lives – for better or worse – he can’t say. He is already using it to streamline everyday tasks, and is now focused on how it will shape his design process.
Not every aspect of the architect’s life is about a digital experience, however. The five acres upstate that he owns with his partner is a haven, reminiscent of the Heimat of his youth. “It is a place of untapped potential, but also of endless beauty,” Hollwich adds. “It is an ecology that was there before, and will be there for a million years to come.”
