Niklas Maak is a writer and arts editor at Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung. Maak studied art history, philosophy and architecture in Hamburg and Paris and completed his PhD on the work of Le Corbusier and Paul Valery in 1998. He went on to work as an art editor for Süddeutsche Zeitung before joining Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in 2001. For his essay, Maak has been awarded the George F. Kennan Prize (2009) and the Henri Nannen Prize (2012). His writing, typically discovering and tracing novel historical lineages in an incisive manner, comprises an important contribution to contemporary architectural and cultural issues. His lecture will address communal dwelling in our time with certain forms of urban depravity.

Maak is the author of two books: 'Der Architekt am Strand: Le Corbusier und das Geheimnis der Seeschnecke' (2010) and 'Fahrtenbuch. Roman eines Autos' (2011). 
He has been guest professor in architectural history at the Frankfurt University as well as guest professor at the Städelschule Architectural Class.