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Graft
Despite one of the many meanings of the lab's name, Lars Krueckeberg, Wolfram Putz and Thomas Willemeit of Graft architects are completely incorruptible. It was hard work, along with music in the pursuit of happiness that made up for their story of success. Graft started in 1998 in Berlin and Los Angeles (today there is another subsidiary in Beijing) as a "lable for Architecture, Urban planning and Exhibition Design". Recently quite a few magazines branded them as "the architects of Brad Pitt", which is true and a highly effective weapon for promotion but surely they don't have to stand for that since he is just one client among many, many others. Graft are active all around the world, from Tbilisi, Berlin, Singapore to LA and the Caribbean Islands.
Regardless of their tight schedules two of Grafts' founders, Wolfram Putz and Thomas Willemeit, were kind enough to meet up with us for an interview. In which they tell us what Grafting means in terms of architecture (scientifically it describes a method where the tissues of one plant are encouraged to fuse with those of another), a true hybrid's nature and why German academics still live up to their names...