Meinhard von Gerkan: Germany's most famous architect dies

The influential architect died on November 30, at the age of 87 in Hamburg. With his business partner, Volkwin Marg, they founded Gerkan, Marg & Partners (gmp) in 1965, a company that now has more than 300 employees and offices worldwide. They first gained international recognition with their design for the Berlin's Tegel Airport, which was built between 1965 and 1975.

A small airport that could be reached within 30 minutes from Berlin's center, short distances from check-in to boarding instead of an endless shopping mall: Tegel was popular with many Berliners, who are still mourning the closure of the airport designed by gmp architects. Its main terminal building, with its iconic hexagonal shape, opened in 1974.

Meinhard von Gerkan (left) and his business partner, Volkwin Marg, marked Tegel's closure by visiting the building with the press, wearing glasses in the shape of their iconic design. The decommissioned airport is to be redesigned into a new city complex, the Urban Tech Republic, dedicated to scientific and industrial research. Tegel's main building and tower are to be preserved as its landmarks.

Visitors traveling through Berlin's main train station, or Hauptbahnhof, are greeted by a space filled with light. The striking building was designed by Meinhard von Gerkan as a "cathedral of transport." It opened in 2006, on the site of the station formerly known as the Lehrter Stadtbahnhof.

Leipzig's conference center was built between 1993 and 1996 following designs by gmp architects. The most striking building of the fairgrounds is the Glass Hall, which became Europe's largest fully glazed structure. The design combines references to the existing 19th-century exhibition hall, all while setting new technological standards, symbolizing the "building bridge" of German reunification.

This event venue in Berlin, which was built in 2001, has hosted hundreds of top performers, from Iggy Pop and The Cure to Janet Jackson and Joan Baez. The building designed by gmp architects has a striking concrete panel roof that echoes the shape of the original structure it replaced, a large circus tent.

Meinhard von Gerkan and Volkwin Marg have also created impressive designs around the world, including China's Maritime Museum near Shanghai, which opened in 2009. Two overlapping roof shells are designed to resemble sails and the organic shapes of the sea. Its cathedral-like indoor display area is large enough to house entire ancient ships.

For the FIFA European Football Championships in 2012, which were staged jointly by Ukraine and Poland, gmp architects also redesigned Kyiv's Olympic Stadium, first opened in 1923. The renovation works included the construction of the building's spectacular new roof.