Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius’s Berlin legacy stretches far across the city. For a wander through the principles governing his design aesthetic, head to the south of Berlin for Gropiusstadt, a housing estate in the city’s Neukölln area.
This collection of high-rise buildings was actually planned as a satellite town in 1960, marrying Gropius’ urban planning vision with aspects of traditional city living. Around 90% of the 18,500 homes created by Gropius were originally intended for social housing, continuing Berlin’s trend for innovation in urban planning. As the Berlin Wall appeared in 1961, the plans were altered dramatically, creating a tightly packed and increasingly imposing collection that extend far beyond their original 5 floors up to 30 storeys – and 89meters - high.
Like many utopian visions at the time, the eventual outcome of Gropiusstadt was far removed from the original plans, both architecturally and in the living conditions of Gropiusstadt. Yet, despite the social problems that plagued the area (immortalised in Christiane Felscherinow’s Wir Kinder Von Bahnhof Zoo), the mini-city is beginning to see signs of revitalisation and recently celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary in November 2012.
Try a sample walk of Gropiusstadt and listen to sounds from the area via Mädels With a Microphone.
Copyright: Tam Eastley