| Title |
Hans Scharoun's House Design and Modern Functionalism/ Hwangbo, A. B. |
| Keywords |
Hans Scharoun ; Modern Functionalism ; Expressionism ; Weissenhofhaus ; |
| Abstract |
German architect Hans Scharoun (1893-1972) has long been known as an Expressionist Architect, but recent scholarships reveal that his architectural pieces represent a profound idea of modern functional building. In this context, his architectural tendency can be constructed as an advanced functionalism. In the early twentieth century Germany, many young architects were not given chances to build due to economic hardship after World War I, and they were naturally led to imagery sketch designs for future architecture. Scharoun began with utopian fantasies as one might easily notice through his watercolor paintings in the Glass Chain period, but further developed his vision into a more concrete idea on organic building which he believed to be a modern functionalism. This paper intends to exemplify Scharoun's modern functionalism through a detailed analysis of his design of Weissenhofhaus presented at Stuttgart Deutscher Werkbund Exhibition in 1927. Weissenhofhaus is often rebuked for its expressionist qualities by famous critics such as Sigfried Giedion and Nikolaus Pevsner, but the house also suggests other possibilities within the Modern Movement in Architecture. In particular, Weissenhofhaus is chosen for its historical importance linking two world war eras in German modern architecture. |