Inken Baller

is a German architect residing and working in Berlin. Baller was a professor at the Brandenburg Technical University (BTU) in Cottbus.

Inken Baller worked from 1967 to 1989 with her divorced husband, the architect Hinrich Baller, in an office partnership. From 1985 she was a visiting professor, and from 1989 a full professor at the Gesamthochschule Kassel. From 1996 to 2007 she held the chair of Design and Construction in Existing Contexts at the BTU in Cottbus, where she also served as vice president for teaching.

After separating from Hinrich Baller, Inken Baller successfully continued her architectural work with her own projects. One of her creations is the building of the „WeiberWirtschaft“ in 1992 in Berlin, an adapted reuse of existing buildings under special economical and ecological aspects. Inken Baller’s contribution to the 1996 competition „Mein Wunschhaus“ („My dream house“) organized by Stern magazine was widely recognized and ensured that she became known outside architectural circles.

The architecture of Inken and Hinrich Baller is relatively independent and does not follow any of the main contemporary trends. It is reminiscent of Art Nouveau in some respects, but relies more heavily on modern constructions such as concrete, steel and glass. Baller sees the roots of her architectural work in the architects Bruno Taut, Hugo Häring, Bernhard Hermkes and Hans Scharoun, among others. As one of few female architects, she succeeded in some places in breaking up the Berlin urban structure in its high stony building density..

Inken Baller is a member of the Deutscher Werkbund Berlin and a member of the editorial team of Biotope City Journal.

Publication on BIOTOPE CITY JOURNAL

The Relationship between City and Nature in History