WK6: EXPRESSIONISM (Germany)

Key Projects

Expressionism

Definition / Context:

• Architecture emphasizing emotion, drama, and psychological impact through form, material, and spatial experience.

• Often organic, dynamic, or distorted.

• Influences include industrial, cultural, and experimental projects; impact on set design, civic, and scientific buildings.

Movements / Styles Covered:

• German Expressionism: Emphasis on emotion, drama, and psychological impact; often organic or distorted forms.

• Brick Expressionism: Using brick as structure and ornament; angular, sculptural forms.

• Glass Architecture: Buildings using glass as main material; creates light, color, transparency, spiritual or utopian effects (influenced by Paul Scheerbart).

• Early Modernism / Industrial Expressionism: Functional industrial design combined with expressive form; minimal ornament but aesthetic clarity.

• Expressionist Set Design / Cinema: Jagged, distorted, dreamlike forms evoke psychological tension and emotion in film/stage design.

• Organic Architecture / Anthroposophy: Inspired by natural forms, flows, and human spirit; ornament intrinsic to structure.

Key Terms:

• Intrinsic Ornament: Ornament that is part of the structure itself.

• Emotional / Psychological Space: Evokes feelings or moods through form, light, and spatial design.

• Utopian Ideals: Architecture expressing hope, community, or spiritual purpose.

• Expressionist Cinema: Film sets with exaggerated, distorted forms for psychological effect.

• Streamlined Form: Smooth, dynamic lines suggesting movement or progress.

• Anthroposophy: Steiner’s philosophy connecting architecture, human spirit, and nature.

• Societal Angst / Post-War Tension: Emotional expression responding to social upheaval.

• Function vs Emotion: Debate between functional architecture and architecture that conveys feeling.

Key Ideas / Concepts:

• Expressionism reacted to post-WWI social, cultural, and psychological conditions.

• Emphasis on organic, dynamic forms, emotion, and drama over strict functionalism.

• Influenced by painting, sculpture, and literature.

• Industrial Expressionism integrates emotional impact into factories and observatories.

• Glass & Utopian Architecture explores light, transparency, color, and societal ideals.

• Expressionism influenced set design and cinema (e.g., Cabinet of Dr. Caligari).

• Historiography: initially criticized, later reevaluated culturally and environmentally.

• Expressionism contrasts rationalist movements like Bauhaus.

Key Architects & Examples:

• Hans Poelzig – Chemical Factory, Grosse Schauspielhaus

• Bruno Taut – Glashaus

• Erich Mendelsohn – Einstein Tower, Hat Factory, Caligari Set

• Fritz Höger – Chilehaus

• Peter Behrens – Technical Admin Building Hoechst AG

• Rudolf Steiner – Goetheanum

• Bernhard Hoetger – Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum

• Walter Gropius – Sommerfeld House

Chemical Factory, Luban, Germany, 1911
Architect / Designer: Hans Poelzig

Architect / Designer: Hans Poelzig
Movement / Style: German Expressionism
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Industrial building designed with expressive forms; not just functional.

  • Shapes evoke emotional and dramatic impact.

  • Ornament integrated into structure; no applied decoration.

  • Evokes psychological intensity.

• Relation / reaction:

  • Contrasts conventional industrial design; inspires awe and emotional response.

  • Reflects societal tension in early 20th century Germany.

• Architect’s thesis / context:

  • Poelzig explored Expressionism in industrial architecture, combining function and art.
    Materials / Ornament: Brick, concrete, steel; organic, expressive forms
    Context: Early 20th century Germany; Expressionist industrial experimentation
    Comparison: Combines utility with emotional expression

Key Terms:

• Organic ornament – Decoration inspired by natural forms

• Industrial Expressionism – Factories designed to evoke emotion

• Intrinsic design – Ornament built into structure

Sketch / Diagram: Angular factory façades, expressive roofline, integrated ornamentation

Grosse Schauspielhaus (Interior Renovation), Berlin, Germany, 1919
Architect / Designer: Hans Poelzig

Architect / Designer: Hans Poelzig
Movement / Style: German Expressionism
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Theater interior immerses audience; organic forms, dramatic lighting.

  • Ceiling shaped like stalactites; cavernous, emotional space.

  • Ornament integrated into structure.

• Relation / reaction:

  • Breaks from traditional theaters; emphasizes emotional experience.

  • Influenced early cinema and set design.

• Architect’s thesis / context:

  • Expressionism reflecting societal angst and artistic experimentation.
    Materials / Ornament: Wood, plaster, steel; flowing, organic forms
    Context: Germany; Expressionist public entertainment spaces
    Comparison: Contrasts classical theater design

Key Terms:

• Intrinsic ornament – Part of the structure itself

• Emotional space – Evokes feelings in viewers

• Expressionist theater – Drama, emotion, organic forms

Sketch / Diagram: Flowing ceiling forms, cavern-like interior, dramatic lighting

Glashaus, Germany, 1914
Architect / Designer: Bruno Taut

Architect / Designer: Bruno Taut
Movement / Style: German Expressionism / Glass Architecture
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Pavilion of glass exploring light, color, transparency.

  • Emphasizes utopian ideals and emotional experience.

  • Ornament comes from material itself.

• Relation / reaction:

  • Radical use of glass; reflects Scheerbart’s “Glass Architecture.”

  • Contrasts rationalist architecture.

• Architect’s thesis / context:

  • Architecture linked to spiritual and social utopia.
    Materials / Ornament: Glass, steel; color and transparency as ornament
    Context: Pre-WWI Germany; Expressionist material experiments
    Comparison: Opposite of Loos; material creates artistic effect

Key Terms:

• Glass architecture – Using glass for light and transparency

• Utopia – Ideal society expressed architecturally

• Intrinsic ornament – Ornament from material itself

• Spiritual design – Evokes spiritual/emotional experience

Sketch / Diagram: Transparent pavilion, colored glass panels, light-filled interior

Einstein Tower Observatory, Potsdam, Germany, 1919–1920
Architect / Designer: Erich Mendelsohn

Architect / Designer: Erich Mendelsohn
Movement / Style: German Expressionism
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Observatory with flowing, organic shapes

  • Forms express scientific purpose

  • Ornament from structure; curves evoke dynamism

• Relation / reaction:

  • Breaks classical forms; emphasizes emotion and movement

• Architect’s thesis / context:

  • Combines functionality with emotional impact

Materials / Ornament: Concrete, brick, plaster; curving forms
Context: Post-WWI Germany; Expressionist research buildings
Comparison: Contrasts rationalist observatories

Key Terms:

• Organic form – Shapes inspired by nature

• Expressive structure – Architecture conveying motion or emotion

• Intrinsic ornament – Decoration integrated into form

• Scientific symbolism – Reflects building’s purpose

Sketch / Diagram: Flowing exterior, curves, telescope integration

Hat Factory, Luckenwalde, Germany, 1921–1923
Architect / Designer: Erich Mendelsohn

Architect / Designer: Erich Mendelsohn
Movement / Style: German Expressionism
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Streamlined, dynamic forms; movement and efficiency emphasized

  • Curved walls and horizontal lines suggest speed

  • Ornament integrated; functional and expressive

• Relation / reaction: Combines modern industry with Expressionist aesthetics

• Architect’s thesis / context: Post-WWI Expressionism in industrial architecture

Materials / Ornament: Brick, concrete, steel; flowing, integrated forms
Context: Early 1920s Germany
Comparison: More streamlined than Poelzig

Key Terms:

• Streamlined form – Smooth shapes suggesting movement

• Industrial Expressionism – Emotionally expressive factory design

• Intrinsic ornament – Ornament from building’s form

Sketch / Diagram: Curved façades, horizontal emphasis

Set Design – Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Germany, 1920
Architect / Designer: Erich Mendelsohn

Architect / Designer: Erich Mendelsohn
Movement / Style: German Expressionism
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Jagged, distorted, dreamlike forms

  • Spaces create psychological tension

  • Ornament intrinsic; structure conveys mood

• Relation / reaction: Opposed realistic conventions; emphasizes emotion

• Architect’s thesis / context: Influence on cinema and set design

Materials / Ornament: Painted wood, cardboard, lighting; jagged forms
Context: Weimar Germany; Expressionist cinema crossover
Comparison: Contrasts traditional set design

Key Terms:

• Expressionist cinema – Emphasizes emotion/distortion

• Distorted form – Jagged, unusual shapes

• Psychological space – Evokes emotional effect

Sketch / Diagram: Angular sets, skewed lines, shadows

Chilehaus, Hamburg, Germany, 1921
Architect / Designer: Fritz Höger

Architect / Designer: Fritz Höger
Movement / Style: Brick Expressionism
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Office building with sharp, ship-like form

  • Expressive brickwork; vertical emphasis

  • Ornament integrated in structure

• Relation / reaction: Functional yet symbolic; combines modernism with Expressionism

• Architect’s thesis / context: Brick Expressionism in commercial architecture

Materials / Ornament: Brick; sculpted, integrated
Context: Post-WWI Hamburg
Comparison: Contrasts smooth modernism

Key Terms:

• Brick Expressionism – Dramatic, expressive brick forms

• Vertical emphasis – Eye drawn upwards

• Integrated ornament – Ornament formed with structure

Sketch / Diagram: Sharp corner, brick façade, vertical lines

Technical Administration Building of Hoechst AG, Germany, 1921–1925
Architect / Designer: Peter Behrens

Architect / Designer: Peter Behrens
Movement / Style: Early Modernism / Industrial Expressionism
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Functional, clear industrial admin building

  • Modernist office/factory integration

  • Minimal ornament; emphasizes proportion

• Relation / reaction: Functional yet aesthetically expressive

• Architect’s thesis / context: Merges industrial function with architecture

Materials / Ornament: Concrete, steel, glass; minimal ornament
Context: Early 1920s Germany
Comparison: Less expressive than Poelzig/Taut

Key Terms:

• Functionalism – Design focused on function

• Industrial modernism – Modernist industrial architecture

• Minimal ornament – Decoration minimized

Sketch / Diagram: Clean façades, efficient layouts

Goetheanum, Switzerland, 1924–1928
Architect / Designer: Rudolf Steiner

Architect / Designer: Rudolf Steiner
Movement / Style: Expressionist / Organic Architecture
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Spiritual center; flowing, sculptural forms

  • Reflects Anthroposophy philosophy

  • Ornament intrinsic; architecture as artistic expression

• Relation / reaction: Opposed industrial rationalism

• Architect’s thesis / context: Expressionism as spiritual/social experiment

Materials / Ornament: Wood, concrete, stone; flowing forms
Context: Post-WWI Europe
Comparison: Contrasts functionalist modernism

Key Terms:

• Anthroposophy – Spiritual philosophy in design

• Organic form – Natural, living shapes

• Intrinsic ornament – Ornament part of structure

Sketch / Diagram: Flowing exterior, sculptural interiors

Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum, Germany, 1924–1928
Architect / Designer: Bernhard Hoetger

Architect / Designer: Bernhard Hoetger
Movement / Style: Expressionism
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Expressive museum; emphasizes art/emotion

  • Sculptural, organic forms

  • Ornament integrated; minimal applied decoration

• Relation / reaction: Contrasts rationalist museums

• Architect’s thesis / context: Expressionist museum combining form and content

Materials / Ornament: Concrete, brick, stone; intrinsic ornament
Context: 1920s Germany
Comparison: Contrasts functionalist galleries

Key Terms:

• Expressionist museum – Emotional architecture

• Intrinsic ornament – Part of structure

• Organic form – Sculptural, natural shapes

Sketch / Diagram: Sculptural façades, flowing interior

Sommerfeld House, Berlin-Dahlem, Germany, 1921
Architect / Designer: Walter Gropius

Architect / Designer: Walter Gropius
Movement / Style: Early Modernism / Expressionist influence
Three Points of Significance:

• Main idea / innovation:

  • Residential house; functional layout, aesthetic simplicity

  • Modern materials with expressive interiors

  • Minimal ornament; focus on proportion/light

• Relation / reaction: Bridges Expressionism and Bauhaus functionalism

• Architect’s thesis / context: Modern living with aesthetic clarity

Materials / Ornament: Brick, wood, glass; minimal decoration
Context: Early 1920s Berlin
Comparison: Less dramatic than Poelzig/Taut

Key Terms:

• Functional living – Practical, comfortable house design

• Early modernism – Early 20th-century modernist style

• Minimal ornament – Decoration minimized

Sketch / Diagram: Simple façade, functional layout, light-filled interiors