ARCHITECTURE DURING THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC: 3D Gallery

ARCHITECTURE IN THE 'GOLDEN AGE'

During the Weimar Republic, architects were influenced by the Bauhaus Design College, which promoted modern-looking buildings.

The Bauhaus style not only influenced buildings but also extended to furniture and typography and it was linked very closely to the ideas of modernism found in the world of art at the time.

WALTER GROPIUS

Walter Gropius was the founder and first director of the Bauhaus School.

He was born on May 18, 1883 in Berlin, Germany. Walter became an architect after studying at the Technical Universities of Berlin and Munich. In 1908 he joined Peter Behrens' studio, where he worked with other architects who would later have great influence on Modern architecture.

Gropius interrupted his work between 1914 and 1918 to fight the First World War. After the Great War, he is appointed director of the Arts and Crafts and Fine Arts Schools in Weimar. In 1919, he merged the two schools to create one that would revolutionize the way of teaching art around the world. Soon, the Bauhaus school became one of the world’s most influential schools of art and design.

BAHAUS SCHOOL

The Bauhaus school was an early 20th-century art and design school founded by German architect Walter

Gropius in 1919, whose philosophy looked to educate students on applied arts concerning mass production, where the unification of all the arts would lead to a design for the new century.

BRUNO TAUT

Bruno Julius Florian Taut (4 May 1880 – 24 December 1938) was a renowned German architect and urban planner. He was active during the Weimar period and is known for his theoretical works as well as his building designs. Taut believed architecture should be functional, socially impactful, and aesthetically inspiring.Unlike many of his contemporaries, Taut used color boldly, bringing a lively, almost utopian energy to his buildings, intended to bring joy and optimism to the people living in them.

'Glass Pavilion' (1914)

In 1914, Bruno Taut designed the Glass Pavilion, a prismatic dome structure displayed at the Cologne Deutscher Werkbund Exhibition. Constructed with concrete and inlaid coloured glass, it became a vibrant landmark, showcasing a bold mix of colour and material innovation. The pavilion's mirrored glass plates reflected light, creating a visual effect that Taut described as a "temple of beauty," with a color transition that started from dark blue at the base, moved through moss green to a golden yellow at the top. Financed by the German glass industry, this pavilion, known as a “house of art,” remains one of Taut's most celebrated architectural achievements.

Ernst May

Ernst May was a key architect in Weimar Germany, famous for his work in social housing and city planning. Leading the Das Neue Frankfurt project, he tackled the housing crisis after World War I by designing affordable, modern apartments with plenty of light, green spaces, and shared facilities. His simple, functional style made housing efficient and promoted good living conditions, setting an example for city planning in Europe.

Siedlung Bruchfeldstraße

Siedlung Bruchfeldstraße were zig-zagged buildings. May's developments were remarkable for the time for being compact, semi-independent, well-equipped with community elements like playgrounds, schools, theaters, and common washing areas.

Shell-Haus

The Shell-Haus, designed by architect Emil Fahrenkamp in the early 1930s, is a famous building from the Weimar Republic period in Berlin. Built as an office for the Shell oil company, it stands out for its wave-like limestone façade and rows of horizontal windows, giving it a smooth, flowing look. The building used a steel frame, which allowed for large windows to let in lots of natural light, making it practical as well as visually attractive.

The building was controversial at the time because its design was different from both traditional styles and the popular Bauhaus-inspired buildings. However, it became a symbol of the creativity, optimism, and focus on modern ideas that defined Weimar Republic architecture. Its impact can be seen in later architectural styles, and it is still celebrated as an important example of 20th-century modernism in Germany.

Hufeisensiedlung (Bruno Taut)

It is one of the first social housing construction projects and is considered an icon of modern urban planning and construction. The settlement was built between 1925 and 1933 in several phases, of which the 1925–1930 built the first six sections since 1986 together as a listed building ensemble.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the architecture of the Weimar Republic was a groundbreaking period that reshaped design and construction in Germany. It challenged traditional styles to create buildings that were functional, efficient, and accessible to more people by using modern materials and techniques to achieve new forms, prioritizing light, simplicity, and practicality. Though often controversial, their work reflected the social and technological changes of the era.

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ARCHITECTURE DURING THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC