»Bringing everyone and everything together«

Erich Schneider
Chairman of the Board at the Heinz and Gisela Friederichs Foundation

These are exciting times for the HfG Offenbach University of Art and Design, which finds itself undergoing a transformation – not least because of the new build in Offenbach Harbor.

That’s why we are particularly delighted to be following its progress and, even more so, to be involved in the process. It has been our pleasure to support this publication as the first detailed presentation of the highly inspiring and freshly conceived design by the architects of Xaveer de Geyter in Brussels and Topotek 1 in Zurich and Berlin, which won first place in the architectural competition.

We as a Foundation have been associated with the HfG Offenbach for more than 20 years now. Since 2001, we have supported the university with 15 endowed and visiting professorships, based on the idea that, specifically at an art and design university there is an even greater need for outstanding artists and designers for teaching and events. In addition, we have funded more than one-and-a-half dozen German scholarships since 2011 – support that is more than important for young artists and designers. We therefore see the funding for the new HfG Offenbach building in this context, too: an outstanding way of promoting young talent.

The new university will offer an unprecedented teaching and learning environment, an ensemble characterized by transparency and flexible design around a park-like garden – an ideal setting for creative development.

We are looking forward to the next milestones on the way to a new HfG in a completely new location that brings everyone and everything together. We are convinced that this new university will provide a boost to innovation that will radiate far beyond the region.