An Undulating Brick Facade Imitates the Free-Flowing Movement of Draped Fabric

German architecture firm Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten recently constructed a new headquarters for the Association of the Northwest German Textile and Garment Industry in Münster, Germany. The firm wanted the building to allude to the association’s work with fabric, and designed a facade that would imitate its folds through a gradient of bricks oriented at different angles.

The decision to recreate the appearance of a soft textile from a firm material was inspired by the alabaster folds of Max Klinger‘s statue of Beethoven located at the Leipzig Art Museum. The carved composer sits shirtless on an armchair with what appears to be a piece of fabric draped over his knee. The fluid nature of the sculpture’s scarf is believable, despite its composition of solid stone. A similar experience is shared by the new headquarters, however created from bricks rather than rock. You can see more of the Behet Bondzio Lin’s designs on their website. (via Jeroen Apers)