What You See from the Roof of the “Corbusierhaus” ? Cover Image
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Co widać z dachu „Corbusierhaus”?
What You See from the Roof of the “Corbusierhaus” ?

Author(s): Szymon Piotr Kubiak
Subject(s): Cultural Essay, Political Essay, Societal Essay
Published by: Stowarzyszenie Czasu Kultury
Keywords: World War II; modern architecture in West Berlin; Le Corbusier; The Corbusierhaus; Postmodernist criticism of post-war architecture; The Corbusierhaus; a legally protected monument;

Summary/Abstract: After its destruction during World War II, West Berlin became “a showcase for city planners”. One of the great architects who was involved in reconstructing the city was the “Picasso of constructors”, Le Corbusier who wanted to erect a monumental modernist building with a shopping mall, viewing area and natural solarium. This idea proved controversial to the inhabitants of Berlin who were accustomed to traditional architectural solutions and consequently the Corbusierhaus erected in 1957 was rather different to the architect’s original concept. The construction of the modernist building progressed very quickly and the press releases which reported this were full of slogans similar to the socialist ones on the other side of the Berlin Wall, where the monumental Stalinallee was being built. Soon West Berlin could boast more interesting new buildings such as the 23-floor-high “Giraffe” skyscraper and the Congress Hall. This new type of city space was subject to much postmodernist criticism as something which represented “an insensitive and uniform international style” that generated the later concrete block housing estates. Szymon Piotr Kubiak, however, stresses its functionality and constructivism as well as its organic and sculptural architecture. Most importantly, the owners of flats in such buildings are happy, particularly those in the Corbusierhaus which has become a legally protected historical monument.

  • Issue Year: 2003
  • Issue No: 04
  • Page Range: 011-018
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: Polish