Interbau 1957

Interbau 1957

Interbau 1957 was a major international housing and architecture exhibition held in Berlin in 1957, organized by the Internationale Bauausstellung and sponsored by the British Council and the City of Berlin. It brought together leading practitioners from across Western Europe and the United States to design a new residential quarter in the Hansaviertel near the Tiergarten and the Zoologischer Garten Berlin. The project aimed to showcase postwar reconstruction models by figures associated with the Bauhaus, CIAM, and the broader Modern architecture movement amid Cold War tensions following the Berlin Blockade and the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Background and Planning

The exhibition emerged from debates involving planner Ernst May, politician Günter Renkel and administrators from the Berliner Bauamt who sought to demonstrate alternatives to traditional reconstruction exemplified by the Stalinist architecture programs in East Germany and the Soviet sphere. Prominent proponents included members of the Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne such as Walter Gropius and Hannes Meyer, while critics ranged from local activists associated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany and cultural figures linked to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Der Spiegel readership. Funding and political backing came from institutions including the Senate of Berlin, philanthropic foundations tied to industrialists like Alfred Krupp and international cultural agencies such as the British Council and the French Cultural Office in Germany.

Site and Master Plan

The chosen site, the prewar Hansaviertel, had been heavily damaged during the Bombing of Berlin (World War II) and lay adjacent to the Großer Tiergarten and transport hubs like Bahnhof Zoo. The master plan was prepared under the direction of Ernst May in consultation with urbanists linked to CIAM and reflectors of concepts from the Athens Charter and Town Planning Ordinance debates. May’s plan emphasized open green space, pedestrianized courtyards, and varied building typologies to accommodate families, singles, and elderly residents tied to housing policies of the Federal Ministry for Housing and municipal housing associations such as the GBG Gemeinnützige Baugesellschaft. The site plan also integrated connections to arterial roads including the Stadtautobahn and public transit nodes served by S-Bahn Berlin and U-Bahn (Berlin) lines.

Architects and Key Buildings

Interbau assembled an international roster: Le Corbusier designed the high-profile residential slab known for its pilotis and color scheme, while Alvar Aalto contributed villa-type dwellings emphasizing timber and human scale. Oscar Niemeyer proposed sculptural forms that reflected his work on Brasília, and Arne Jacobsen introduced modular apartment blocks with Scandinavian detailing. German participants included Willy Kreuer alongside former Bauhaus members Walter Gropius and Hannes Meyer, and reconstructions by Alexander von Branca. Other notable names present were Erich Mendelsohn sympathizers, figures from the Deutsche Werkbund, and younger modernists connected to the Technische Universität Berlin. Key buildings included Le Corbusier’s slab and a tower by Willy Kreuer; Aalto’s houses near Hansa Square; Niemeyer’s curvilinear block; and a cluster of townhouses by Arne Jacobsen facing the Tiergarten. The ensemble displayed materials and systems linked to industrial firms such as Siemens and Thyssen, and featured interior fittings from designers associated with the Bauhaus-Archiv.

Exhibition and Public Reception

The exhibition opened amidst coverage in outlets from the New York Times to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and drew delegations from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the diplomatic corps of Washington, D.C. and Paris. Critics praised the international lineup of architects from France, Finland, Brazil, Denmark, and Germany, while dissenters from the Christian Democratic Union and vocal commentators at Die Zeit questioned the social suitability of some designs. Academic reactions came from scholars at the University of Cambridge and the Technische Universität Berlin, while photographers affiliated with Life (magazine) and agencies like Magnum Photos documented the exhibition. Visitor programs included lectures by Walter Gropius and guided tours led by planners from the Senate of Berlin, attracting professionals from London, Rome, Stockholm, and Milan.

Legacy and Urban Impact

Interbau’s long-term impact shaped debates in postwar reconstruction across Western Europe and the United States, influencing housing policy conversations in capitals such as London, Paris, and Rome. The Hansaviertel ensemble became a case study in preservation and adaptive reuse debated at forums like the ICOMOS conferences and in planning schools at MIT and ETH Zurich. Subsequent municipal actions by the Berlin Senate and heritage designations from the German Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning sought to balance conservation with contemporary needs. The site today remains a living neighborhood that continues to provoke analysis in works published by scholars at Columbia University and critics writing for Architectural Review, while its buildings are cited alongside canonical projects like Unité d'Habitation and the Weissenhof Estate in surveys of International Style and mid-century modernism.

Category:Architecture exhibitions Category:Buildings and structures in Berlin