Modernity meets antiquity.
The Architect O.M. Ungers und Trier

How does architecture transform a city, and why can a building polarise people? These are among the questions explored in the special exhibition O. M. Ungers and Trier at the Stadtmuseum Trier.

Oswald Mathias Ungers (1926–2007) was one of the most important German architects of the post-war period. His buildings are internationally renowned, yet he also left a significant mark on Trier. Through his designs for the square in front of the Basilica, the Viehmarkt thermal baths and the Imperial Baths, he shaped places where the city’s Roman past and present intersect in distinctive ways.

But why did an internationally sought-after architect undertake three major projects in a city such as Trier? What fascinated him about ancient architecture, and how did he translate its forms and ideas into a modern architectural language? The exhibition invites visitors to explore Ungers’ thinking and design practice, and to reconsider the connections between the ancient heritage and 20th-century architecture.

Through these three projects in Trier, the exhibition tells a story of ambitious ideas, bold designs and differing views on how a city should engage with its history. It demonstrates that architecture is about far more than constructing buildings: it shapes our everyday lives, transforms familiar places and challenges us to reflect on the future of our cities.

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