Harald Deilmann (1920–2008) was one of the pioneers of postwar modernist architecture in Germany. Designing structures for almost all types of building, he had a profound impact on the development of architecture in West Germany during the postwar era, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to architecture and urban planning, his diverse activities included roles as academic teacher in Stuttgart and Dortmund, jury member, adviser, and patron of the arts.

Deilmann gained early recognition for the richly varied and open form of his buildings, often referred to as “living architecture.” In his designs, he consistently used an approach based on the principle that typological and creative aspects of a building were closely interlinked.

Founded in 1955 in the city of Münster, his architecture practice oversaw the construction of buildings throughout Westphalia and the Rhineland, before expanding its operations nationally and internationally. In his frequent collaborations with contemporary artists, he sought to engage with the social challenges and architectural trends of his time. This book showcases material from Deilmann’s extensive estate, which is archived at Baukunstarchiv NRW, and highlights the most relevant buildings and projects of his career from 1955 to the early 1980s.