Practice Projects London/Berlin/Seoul

Casper Mueller Kneer is an architectural practice with a global reach and an established reputation for producing distinct and distinctive spaces for art, culture and fashion. Our particular expertise is in creating spaces for display and a focus on material experimentation. We work on a wide range of briefs and scales, producing highly individualised designs that are developed in close relationship with our clients.

Significant projects to date include critically acclaimed galleries, such as White Cube in Bermondsey, London; global architectural concepts for fashion houses such as Phoebe Philo’s Céline and Saint Laurent; store designs, department stores such as Hyundai Seoul; mixed cultural spaces including the new Headquarters Building for the Ministry of Sound in London; exhibition designs for the Barbican and the Wellcome Trust in London and collaborations with artists.

Our practice has received many awards, including an RIBA National Award, a Civic Trust Commendation, the AIA UK Design Excellence Award, the AJ Retrofit Award, The Chicago Atheneum International Architecture Award and an Architzer A+ global Award among others. The practice has an international team with projects located across the UK and Europe, as well as Asia and North America. The extensive research the practice undertakes is extended through the academic activities of its directors.  

Founding Directors

Olaf KneerOlaf is a founding partner and director of Casper Mueller Kneer. He trained at the University of Dortmund and the Architectural Association, and worked with Ian Ritchie and Llewelyn-Davies in London. Olaf taught Urban Design with Colin Fournier at the UCL Bartlett and was Unit Master at the Architectural Association. He was co-director of the AA Berlin Laboratory, and was a long-standing panel member of the Newham Design Review Panel in London and the MADE Review Board, providing professional design advice, helping to improve the quality of urban design and architecture through the planning process.

Marianne MuellerMarianne is founding partner and director of Casper Mueller Kneer, and Professor of Architectural Design and Building Typology at the State Academy of Art and Design in Stuttgart. A graduate of the Technical University Darmstadt and the Architectural Association (AA) in London, Marianne worked with ‘CHORA’ / Raoul Bunschoten and taught at the Technical University Berlin and the AA in London amongst other academic roles. At the AA she also lead the AA Berlin Laboratory, was Curator of the Concrete Geometries Research Cluster and now heads ‘The Laboratory’, a cross-disciplinary initiative of the AA at the State Academy of Art and Design in Stuttgart.

Design Directors

George BarerGeorge is a registered architect and Design Director at Casper Mueller Kneer Architects. As a long-standing collaborator, George works across projects and scales within the practice, focussing on design development and technical delivery, coordinating projects from concept stage through to implementation. George is a graduate of the University of Brighton and the Architectural Association in London.

Vicente HernándezVicente plays a crucial role in shaping the creative vision of the practice, ensuring design excellence, and maintaining the quality of work produced by the team. He is involved in mentoring and developing the skills of team members, while staying abreast of industry trends. Vicente is a registered architect with an MArch, earning an 'Award for Academic Excellence' from the ETSA A Coruña, Spain, and the University of Applied Sciences Regensburg, Germany.

Regional Practice Directors

Jordan Bartelt, Berlin
Valentina Grittini, London
Youseok Cho, Seoul

Clients include

Antonioli
Bally
Barbican Art Centre
Céline
Curzon Cinemas
Dries Van Noten
FACT, Foundation for Art and Creative Technology
Givenchy
Handsome Corporation
Hyundai
ICA, Institute of Contemporary Arts
Jil Sander
Karla Otto
KulturRegion Stuttgart
Lemaire
Leisure Centre Vancouver
Loro Piana
Ministry of Sound
Museum Ludwig
Saint Laurent
Self-Portrait
UAL University of the Arts London
Wellcome Trust
White Cube
Yang Li

Awards
2023
Arch Daily, Building of the Year 2023, Bally Flagship Store Milan
2022
Arch Daily, Best Architectural Projects of 2022, Glass House Garden Conservatory Seoul
2022
(D)ARC Awards, shortlist
2021
LIT Award, winner
2020
Fritz Höger Award for Brick Architecture, shortlist
2020
Wienerberger Brick Award 20, Outstanding International Brick Architecture, nomination
2018
World Architecture News (WAN) Awards, shortlist
2018
Lux Awards, Retail Lighting Project of the Year, shortlist
2018
Brick Awards, Brick Development Association, category Worldwide, shortlist
2018
Architizer A+ Award, +Brick category, finalist
2018
New London Awards, shortlist
2015
ECOLA European Conference of Leading Architects Award, nomination
2014
Architizer A+ Award, category Cultural: Art Galleries, special mention
2013
The Best Set Design of this Season, Céline F/W 2013 Show, Paris, 2013, Purple Magazine
2013
Civic Trust Award, commendation
2012
RIBA National Award, winner
2012
The Chicago Atheneum International Architecture Award, winner
2012
AJ Retrofit Award, category Cultural Buildings, winner
2012
AIA UK Chapter Design Excellence Award, commendation
2005
AJ Corus ‘40 under 40’ Award, winner
2005
Theme Best Interior Design Award, nominated
2002
Theme Best Use of Technology Award winner
2000
The Times Creative Office Award, winner
Exhibitions
2018
The Hull of a Large Ship. Five contemporary architects respond to the original Barbican plans.’ Groupshow: Barbican Art Centre, London
2017
Hidden Lines of Space’ Groupshow: Kunstverein am Rosa Luxemburg Platz, Berlin
2017
Making Effect Exhibition, Architecture + Research + Society: ArkDes, The Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design, Stockholm
2016
Bauhaus-Archiv / Museum für Gestaltung: HO, Berlin
2016
Ideenwettbewerb Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts: Kulturforum, Berlin
2016
Kindermuseum des Jüdischen Museums Berlin: Jewish Museum, Berlin
2013
da! Architektur in und aus Berlin: Architektenkammer Berlin / Stilwerk, Berlin
2010
Measure of Man – Measure of Architecture. New Responsibility in Architecture and Urbanism: Aedes Pfefferberg, Berlin
2008
Auslandsbeziehungen: Junge Architekten aus Deutschland: Bundesarchitektenkammer Deutschland (NAX) und das Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (IFA)
2008
King’s Cross Charrette: AJ Exhibition: New London Architecture Building Centre, London
2006
40 Under 40: Architects: Interbuild, Birmingham
2005
Architects In Practice, The Photographs of Tim Soar: Royal Institute of British Architects, RIBA, London
2005
Dionysos Hof 1:1: Museum Ludwig, Köln
2000
Creative Office Award: The Royal College of Art, RCA, London
2000
Offene Räume / Open Spaces: KulturRegion, Stuttgart