BERLIN.- The Museum for Architectural Drawing presents Lebbeus Woods, ON-line, an exhibition of the finest works of architectural theorist, draftsman, educator and architect, Lebbeus Woods (1940–2012). Curated by his longtime friend and partner Christoph a. Kumpusch, the exhibition brings together a collection of Woods’ visionary works that have never been exhibited before. The intensely rendered architectural and urban environments produced early on in Woods’ career are exhibited together for the first time. These ink and pencil drawings cover a wide range of Woods’ research and re-imagination of cities both real and fictive and support Woods’ longstanding desire to show the capacity of architecture as a transformative and eloquent force.

For the first time, Woods’ “4 Cities & Beyond” (1982–1983) projects -including “A City” (1987) and “Centricity” (1987–1988) – are brought together with depictions of “Region M” (1984), “Underground Berlin” (1988) and a design for a “Meta-Institute” (1994–1995). Figuratively floating above and between these locales are Woods’ delicate, metal-plated and cable-laced “Geomagnetic Flying Machines” (1988).

By focusing on the diverse characteristics of his line work, the show demonstrates Woods’ complete investment in drawing as the most forceful, evocative and uniquely architectural mode of communication. Colour, tone, shade and shadow are deployed both in the service of clarity and the evocation of atmosphere. These works are simultaneously forceful and fragile, imbued with the author’s singular language and conviction that drawings can say things words cannot.

Our special thanks go to Kristin Feireiss for her dedication and support in making this exhibition possible. She was the one who not only inspired Lebbeus Woods to some of his projects, but also organized his first exhibition in Berlin 1988 at Aedes.