Untitled (Architecture of the Breuninger Building) c. 1950 - 1960

Editor: This is an untitled photograph, taken by Adolf Lazi, of the Breuninger Building’s architecture. The materials and clean lines feel very industrial. What's your take on it? Curator: Notice how the photograph emphasizes the glass and concrete? Lazi highlights the materials themselves, drawing attention to the labor and processes involved in constructing this modernist building. Editor: So, the building’s materials are the main focus? Curator: Precisely. The photograph encourages us to think about the social implications of these materials, from extraction to construction, and how they shape our experience of urban space. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. It makes me think about the relationship between architecture, industry, and everyday life in a new way. Curator: Exactly! Considering the photograph through a materialist lens reveals so much.