Bilingual edition (English/German) / Zweisprachige Ausgabe (deutsch/englisch) Historic buildings demonstrate to us that we are separated from the past. At the same time, they remind us that it is our duty to develop a relationship with history. For that reason, it is construction involving existing buildings in particular that guides me in the search for architecture that carries history forward. Building on is what I call the search for novelty that would not exist or even be conceivable without the old. Max Dudler Max Dudler: Building on History accompanies the exhibition of the same name at the Kunsthalle Bielefeld. Using photographs and architectural designs, the volume acts as a bridge between Max Dudlers expansions of important historic buildings, such as his work on the Hambacher Schloss, and newer projects like the Railway Museum in Bochum. The architectural transformation of history results in abstract, sculptural buildings that preserve our connection to the past through their shapes and materials.

Alexander Bonte is a member of the management team at Max Dudler, and has been responsible for numerous building projects, exhibitions and publications as project manager, curator and editor. Max Dudler founded the Max Dudler firm in 1992, which now has branches in Berlin, Zurich, Frankfurt am Main, and Munich. In 2004, Dudler was appointed professor at the Kunstakademie Dusseldorf. He has also taught at the Universita Iuav di Venezia, the Alma Mater Studiorum Universita Bologna, the Politecnico di Milano, Technical University of Dortmund, and Technical University of Munich.