Studio Max Gerthel is a multidisciplinary design studio engaged in architecture in all scales from buildings to installations, furniture and lighting. Founded in Beijing in 2010, the studio initially worked through speculative research projects and art installations, taking a critical stance in the production of new spaces and objects. After relocating to Malmö in 2017, the studio has developed a special focus on the transformation and redevelopment of existing buildings.

Process and method

While the process of design is has to be pragmatic and inclusive, one of the most important components –desire – still operates in a realm outside of logic and reason. Our projects aim to evoke desire through notions such as contrast, contradiction and surprise. The artistic focus is on creating and supporting dynamic relationships: Generic/Specific, Inside/Outside, New/Old, Public/Private.

Background

Max Gerthel is an architect, designer and curator working in the fields of architecture, art and design. He founded Studio Max Gerthel with the aim of using design as a method of navigating the complex terrain of early 21st century China. Between 2011 and 2016 he was also co-director the Institute For Provocation, a workspace and research platform for artists and architects. Max Gerthel holds an MA in architecture from Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture in Copenhagen. Previous experiences include Spatial Practice, MAD Architects and Edouard François. He has taught architecture studios at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Tsinghua University, Academy of Art & Design, and CAFA IFC in Beijing.

In 2019, Max Gerthel co-founded SPARK, a platform for exhibitions and projects in the intersection of art, architecture and academic research. The platform operates in Malmö with an exhibition space on Båstadsgatan 4, in the multi-ethnic neighbourhood of Sorgenfri.