| Title |
Industrial Architectural Ideology and Formal Characteristics of Hermann Muthesius |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.14774/JKIID.2026.35.5.170 |
| Keywords |
Hermann Muthesius; German Modern Architecture; Industrial Architecture; Typification; Objectivity |
| Abstract |
This study examines Hermann Muthesius’s ideas of industrial architecture during the transition to modern architecture in early twentieth-century Germany, focusing on the formal and spatial characteristics embodied in his built works and their historical significance. To this end, the study analyzes Muthesius’s primary sources and examines his major industrial buildings within the context of Deutscher Werkbund and Bauhaus discourse and the aesthetic currents of Expressionism and New Objectivity. The findings are as follows. First, Muthesius integrated technical utility and artistic value by combining the objectivity of engineering-based “purpose-form” (Zweckform) with a “conscious sense of form (Formbewusstsein)” grounded in the theories of Schinkel and Riegl. Second, his concept of “typification” (Typisierung) constituted a practical principle for establishing universal formal norms for industrial society, extending beyond mere standardization. Third, the Michels & Cie. Silk Weaving Mill (Seidenweberei Michels & Cie.) fulfilled functional requirements through efficient planning and natural lighting, while reconciling corporate identity and architectural expression through classical vocabulary and brick construction. Fourth, the Nauen Large Radio Station (Großfunkstelle Nauen) translated engineering imperatives, including electromagnetic safety and the capacity for equipment expansion, into box-shaped volumes, the material qualities of clinker brick, and restrained proportions, demonstrating the full realization of an objective formal order. Fifth, his architecture encompassed improved working conditions and landscape planning, transforming production facilities into settings for social and cultural practice in which work and everyday life could coexist. In conclusion, Muthesius’s industrial architecture provided an early foundation for the formation of universal architectural norms by organically integrating functional rationality, formal order, productivity, and social values. |