About us
Dedicated to Architecture
Introducing ArchiTangle
ArchiTangle is an independent publishing house based in Berlin, focusing on knowledge transfer and projects of social relevance. Founded in 2019, ArchiTangle’s program spans the entire architecture spectrum and aims to preserve the exchange of architectural knowledge through publications and digital services.
More than Books
ArchiTangle’s novel blockchain-based archiving platform enables architects to securely store sensitive documents without any intermediaries. Architects hold exclusive control over their data stored on the platform – no third party can ever gain access without the originator’s permission.
Vision
"Everything that we build, we build for human beings."
- Balkrishna Doshi, 2019
At ArchiTangle, we believe in the power of books and their impact on education. Everything we do relates to our goal of strengthening and attracting a younger audience through our knowledge-transfer platform for architectural research. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we partner with leading architects and artists to promote open access to scientific book content for students and academic institutions worldwide. Our mission fuels us as a team, to support and facilitate research in the architecture space.
Team
Cristina Steingräber
CEO & Publisher
Cristina is a noted art historian and publisher who spent more than a decade at Hatje Cantz, a world-leading publisher of visual arts, photography and architecture. Cristina possesses deep industry expertise, having served as the Managing Director of Hatje Cantz where she was fully responsible for the operational and strategic management of the company. A keen interest in the arts motivated her to pursue a PhD in Art and Architectural History from the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel followed by an MBA from the prestigious TUM School of Management.
Arne Steingräber
CTO
Arne is a serial entrepreneur who has built successful companies in the publishing and tech space. He has held senior management positions at tech startups and grownups alike. Arne has extensive experience in business transformation, operations management and growth techniques, with a recent focus on real-world DLT deployment.
Sonja Bröderdörp
CFO
Sonja is an experienced strategic manager, having most recently served as the Head of Rights Finance and Controlling at Hoffmann und Campe, a traditional publishing house based in Hamburg. During her time at Hoffmann und Campe, Sonja was responsible for strategic planning and negotiating license agreements in the rights trade. An expert in contract management, Sonja graduated with a Diploma in European Studies from Fachhochschule Osnabrück and is completing an MA in Governance from Fernuniversität Hagen.
Julia Wagner
Art Direction
Julia is a dedicated creative director with a strong track record in book design, among others for Dumont and Hatje Cantz. She has been working in the art world, in magazine publishing (e.g. Jahreszeiten Verlag, Gruner & Jahr) and advertising for more than 20 years. She won several prizes for her book-, editorial-, and newspaper-design.
Lisa Luksch
Project Manager
Lisa holds a master’s degree in architecture from the Technical University of Munich (TUM). As part of her studies, she spent a year at the University of Antwerp, specializing in urban architecture and design. Before joining ArchiTangle, she worked as a lecturer and research associate at TUM’s Chair of Architectural History and Curatorial Studies and was a curator at the Architekturmuseum der TUM in the Pinakothek der Moderne.
In 2023, she co-curated the internationally acclaimed exhibition Building to Heal: New Architecture for Hospitals, followed by the exhibition Visual Investigations: Between Advocacy, Journalism, and Law in 2024. Both exhibitions were accompanied by comprehensive publications (English and German), which she co-edited, bringing together critical, research-driven discourses from different disciplines.
Now part of the ArchiTangle team, Lisa brings her expertise in making architectural discourse accessible to a broad audience, combining academic depth with engaging communication and knowledge dissemination.
Silke Martini
Project Manager
Ella Neumaier
Editorial Advisor
In 2023, Ella Neumaier embarked on her PhD at ÉPFL´s Architecture and Sciences of the City program, after having spent time as a project manager at ArchiTangle. While pursuing her PhD, Ella continues to support the team as an Editorial Advisor by engaging in conception and project management and simultaneously networking within academia and beyond as a link to both young scholars and current conversation in research. Ella holds a master in Architecture (Cultural Heritage, History, and Criticism) from the Technical University Munich. Before joining ArchiTangle, she worked as an editorial and curatorial assistant at the Architekturmuseum der TUM in der Pinakothek der Moderne.
Advisory Board
Karin Thelen
Karin is the Head of Quality Assurance and Quality Control at Stadtwerke München (SWM) one of Germany’s largest municipal utilities and services companies. She is a dynamic, success and solution oriented executive, with 18+ years’ experience in management, technology and science. Karin holds a PhD in Microbiology and an MBA from the Technical University of Munich and has both start-up and corporate experience. Karin is an expert in strategic Innovation, business development and digitalization. She serves on the Board of SWM’s women’s network and is at present responsible for 65+ employees. Karin possesses extensive experience in several industries ranging from energy to pharmaceuticals.
Rahul Mehrotra
Rahul is the Founder Principal of RMA Architects and has designed projects ranging from interior design to urban design, conservation and planning. He studied at the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad, where he received the gold medal for his undergraduate thesis and graduated with a Master of Architecture in Urban Design (MAUD) degree with distinction from Harvard University (1987). He has taught at the University of Michigan and at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 2010 he has been at the Harvard Graduate School of Design where he is Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design and since 2020 the John T. Dunlop Professor in Housing and Urbanization.
Lesley Lokko
Lesley is an architect, academic and the author of eleven best-selling novels. She is currently Dean of the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture, City College of New York. Lesley is trained as an architect, graduating with a MArch from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London in 1995. She went on to earn a PhD in Architecture from the University of London and has taught at universities in the US, the UK, Australia, and across Africa. Lesley is an active contributor to discourses around identity, race, African urbanism and the speculative nature of African architectural space. Additionally, she serves a regular juror at international competitions and is a long-term contributor to the BBC’s arts and culture programs.
Andres Lepik
Andres is director of the Architecture Museum at Technical University of Munich (TUM) and professor for architectural history and curatorial practice. He is an architecture historian and is holding a PhD from the Bibliotheca Hertziana in Rome. He began his academic and curatorial work at the State Museums in Berlin in 1994. From 2007 to 2010 he worked as a curator at MoMA in New York and became a Loeb Fellow at Havard University in 2011. He is an expert in the field of socially engaged architecture and participatory structures.
Heike Leise
Throughout her career, Heike has consistently prioritized customer-centric approaches and the digital transformation of organizations. She possesses a wealth of experience and accomplishments as a proficient manager, overseeing customer-facing departments such as sales, service, marketing, and communications. Notably, Heike has held esteemed positions including Chief Commercial Officer at AKDB AöR, Vice President of Channel Management B2B at M-net Telekommunikations GmbH, and manager of transformation and change projects at Telekom Deutschland GmbH. Additionally, she has excelled in sales management and leadership roles within startup and scale-up companies. Recognized for her expertise in customer centricity and sales, Heike was recently elected as the Vice President of the Bundesverband der Vertriebsmanager e.V. (Federal Association of Sales Managers). Committed to fostering female empowerment, Heike actively contributes as a board member of Frauen in die Aufsichtsräte e.V. (Women on Board). Heike holds a Master of Arts degree from the Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms Universität in Bonn, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of East London.
Angela Kesselring
Angela is the Head of Cooperation Management at Süddeutsche Zeitung one of Germany’s largest broadsheet newspapers. She focuses on the development, realization, and distribution of innovative products in the fields of media. Previously, Angela co-founded SZ Scala – a communications agency of Süddeutsche Zeitung, where she created the highest quality content for brands, cities and leading IT business companies. She holds a M.A. in Law, Comparative Literature and Art and Media Sciences from the University of Constance. Kesselring also serves as an Advisor for the Kreativlabor of the City of Munich.
Hermann Eckel
Hermann is a digital expert with extensive experience in the publishing industry. After studying German literature and History, he held various sales and management roles at leading music and academic publishers. He spent five years as Managing Director at tolino media, where he significantly expanded the company’s self-publishing business.
At ArchiTangle, Hermann is responsible for business development and digital product sales. In addition to his role at ArchiTangle, he works as a freelance consultant, trainer, and speaker, supporting publishers on their digital transformation journey.
Christoph Burger
Christoph is a senior lecturer at ESMT Berlin. Before joining in 2003, he worked five years in industry at Otto Versand and as vice president at the Bertelsmann Buch AG, five years at consulting practice Arthur D. Little, and five years as independent consultant focusing on private equity financing of SMEs.
His research focus is in innovation/ blockchain, decision making / negotiation and energy markets.
He is a regular speaker at international events and programs for e.g. Yale, HEC, OMIE, Oxford, KAPSARC, a member of the jury of the GreenTec Awards and a mentor at accelerators such as the startup bootcamp or DB Mindbox.
Christoph studied business administration at the University of Saarbrücken (Germany), the Hochschule St. Gallen (Switzerland), and economics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA).