Amber - Habitat

Marike Schreiber

Summary

For "Amber", seven drop-shaped glass objects (H 575 cm, W/D 40 cm each, weight approx. 225 kg) were installed on a steel girder with complicated rope suspension and upper metal fastening. The tree trunk sculpture "Habitat" (H 65 cm, W 250 cm, material thickness 8 mm, weight approx. 50 kg) was laser-engraved and mounted on a brass plate.

Services

Design, production and assembly

Project manager

Pascal Bargon

Client

Marike Schreiber

Year

2025

Amber - Habitat:
Art on the building in the Rostock government center

The Rostock government center unites various state offices under one roof. As part of the construction work, an art-in-architecture competition was held to give the newly created and extended rooms an artistic character. Marike Schreiber's design impressed the jury with its clear design language, carefully considered placement and the poetic depth of the motifs.

With her two-part work "Amber - Habitat", artist Marike Schreiber created an artistic connection between nature, architecture and history. The installation was installed in two central locations in the Rostock government center: the open space in the stairwell of building 3 and the foyer on the first floor of building 1. Both works responded to the architectural conditions and reinterpreted the spaces in a subtle yet concise way. The combination of glass, brass and precise craftsmanship created a lively tension between materiality, space and association.

"Amber" after the installation, 2025. Photos: Tim Kellner

Amber - drop-shaped glass installation in the stairwell

The vertical space in the stairwell of House 3 provided the ideal setting for the "Amber" installation, which spanned several floors. The sculpture consists of seven drop-shaped glass objects that look like frozen drops of amber and hang from a specially developed suspension cable. The color and shape are reminiscent of drops of resin at the moment they flow, while the title refers to the preservation of a moment, similar to inclusions in amber.

The precise craftsmanship creates a vertical, almost floating sculpture that reinterprets the space and subtly reinforces the architecture. The "Amber" installation had a height of 575 cm, a maximum width and depth of 40 cm and a total weight of around 225 kg. The glass objects were produced in close collaboration with a Berlin glass workshop and suspended from a steel beam with thimble. The complex cable suspension was specially developed for this room in order to integrate the sculpture in a way that is both secure and light.

"Habitat" after the installation, 2025. Photos: Tim Kellner

Laser-engraved tree structure as a space-defining sculpture

Habitat" is located in the entrance area of the first floor of House 1: a horizontally aligned brass sculpture that acts as a quiet but powerful accent opposite the entrance. The sculpture is reminiscent of a dead tree trunk and is engraved in great detail. The fine lines trace organic structures and annual rings, causing the surface to change in the light.

"Habitat" anchors the room to the floor and engages in an exciting dialog with the vertical movement of "Amber". This creates an interplay between vertical and horizontal, movement and stillness, emergence and decay. The sculpture consists of an 8 mm thick brass plate (dimensions: 65 × 250 cm, weight approx. 50 kg) and was laser engraved. It was mounted using a concealed metal construction, which supports the floating appearance of the sculpture. The metal and laser engraving work was carried out by us.