Category Archives: ARCH222

ERNST MAY / Housing Policy of Frankfurt on the Main (1929)

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After the First World War, in Frankfurt, a remarkable city planning was designed. It was Frankfurt on the main project. With solving problems techniques, approaches, design applications and implementation city-planning experiment was a pioneer for modern architecture.

Germany suffered gravely because of the First World War. And besides that, Frankfurt population was expanded. Housing production was less than last prewar year. So people did not find a house easily. In this time, the country encountered some economic crisis. The economy of Germany was affected from the First World War and the inflation increased. Because of these reasons, the government made a law to produce the housings. It was Hauszinssteur Act in 1924, which enable to local municipalities to tax homeowners. With this tax, a fund can be created to built units between 1924 and 1931. The architect Ernst May became director of this city planning.

 ERNST MAY

Ernst May was an architect and city planner. May was a student of Theoder Fischer and he had worked on the garden-city concept in London under the Raymond Unwin. Theoder Fischer and Raymond Unwin had been known with their remarkable garden-city ideas. In fact, Ernst May impressed their city ideas and he rationalized their garden-city concept in Frankfurt on the Main project. In 1918, May joined the Silesian building department in Breslau, where he first experimented with methods of prefabrication in multi-family housing. He focused on producing period rather than design process in Frankfurt on the Main project. The Ernst May became director of Frankfurt city planning. He approached the housing problem in Frankfurt with the efficiency of Frederick Winslow Taylor. He was an American mechanical engineer who was known to improve industrial efficiency. May designed several housing in Frankfurt under the concepts of standardization and prefabrication. He wanted to design minimal spaces with maximum efficiency. May also thought that a city planning reflects the needs of citizenry rather than their attitudes. I mean, the Frankfurt city planning must shape the society. Their aim was to create a new concept of living. It called as “wohnkultur”. And he thought that architecture could be a tool for social change.

 PLANNING OF THE PROJECT

In Frankfurt city planning, the first thing, which must be specified, is residential housing needs. It was designated as housing for small families. But while designing these housing, designers must pay attention to some points. First of all, the budget has a limitation. So, it is necessary to build as much housing as possible within the funding limitations. Then, houses must fit the needs of the people. The location of settlements was designated which is the least expensive. Other point is that the houses were designed for minimum existence. While creating housing and a new concept of living, houses and city planning would reflect the values of new society. But, community icons would not destroyed. One of the most important problems in existing housing in Frankfurt is unhealthy condition. So, new settlements would be healthy and sanitary. Lastly, settlements provided places for living, learning, working and recreation. They designed independent social area. The program developed in less than a year.

 PROJECTS

If we look at the project, twenty-four settlements planned with unique land use, city planning, management concept, built-in element, and revolutionary design element. Flat roof, zig – zag site layout, reflecting pool, sun loggia, and wide bands of colors were exist. These designing application and approaches were very radical decisions in that time. All radical decisions were applied under the modern concept. Some of decisions were not only for new concept, but also reflect the history of community. In Frankfurt on the Main project, practical and idealistic goals were met. All projects were designed in a holistic approach. Those twenty-four settlements were placed along Nidda River Valley. May define the area for agricultural use and it can serve as a green belt, it separated the older city from future expansion. Frankfurt on the main planning was designed for several communal features. These communal features support the new concept of living; “wohnkultur”. It included a local cooperative store, day-care centers, common using areas, community centers, shopping areas, playgrounds, common washing areas, guest houses, schools and theatres. All of designed for wohnkultur idea and positive sense of community.

 RÖMERSTADT

One of the most known settlements under the Frankfurt on the main is Römerstadt. The length of the settlements is two kilometer strip. Its location was along a slope. We see the unique land use in Römerstadt settlement. The local roads located sparingly curvilinear pattern with minimal width. The structures were parallel in the local roads. Also the structures had curvilinear pattern. The street pattern was designed for utility and also to support a sense of form to the area. This idea was very significant design features in that time. May created the houses with modern design, high density in natural settings. Well-defined borders were designed to create a sense of community. Two- storey row houses were dominant in Römerstadt settlement. The flat roof, bare facing and multi colored walls existed there. Each unit had got a toilet, bath, kitchen, and a living room. All were designed in new approach and they were not like any other examples created in Europe. Especially the kitchens of these units were designed totally new approach. These kitchens called as Frankfurt kitchen.

FRANKFURT KITCHEN

I mentioned about the aim of this city planning. Ernst May wanted to design several houses in Frankfurt under the his concept of standardization and prefabrication modern housings. He designed minimal spaces with maximum efficiency in careful design. One of the best examples of producing and designing under these approaches is Frankfurt Kitchen. It was designed by Frau Grete Lihotsky. She was first female Austrian architect. The kitchen has all normal application and fixtures. It was standardized and mass produced. It was designed with spatial arrangement. The all kitchen equipment was placed efficiently. While designing and producing all the equipment, minimum budget was used. The entrance of kitchen, there were small walls. In the face of entrance there was a window. On the left side of the kitchen, there were a stove and a sliding door, which supports the entrance of living room or dining room. On the right side of the kitchen, there were cabinets for food stuffs, and sink. Under the window, there was a counter top. Frankfurt Kitchen with all the spatial organization was very unusual in Europe and it became a pioneer for modern kitchen design.

In Frankfurt on the main project, small units, small kitchen and also small furniture were designed. I mean, standardization did not end with the kitchen. Specially scaled design was produced. In fact the aim of the project was producing small spaces and all units were designed for minimum existence. So scaled design was not amazing. Also, small furniture was designed to fit small spaces. About this issue Mart Stam said that, “Modern architecture is therefore against prestige design, against excess and for human scale.” I mean all project design was against excess.

GARDEN-CITY CONCEPT

I mentioned that before, Ernst May was impressed to Theoder Fischer’s and Raymond Unwin’s garden city ideas and he rationalized their garden-city concept in Frankfurt on the main project. So designers developed layouts for gardening. Landscape architect designed garden colonies and integrated into the Frankfurt on the main project. They designed structures in a natural environment. They designed small garden colonies because of foot shortages and a new type of people; “wohnkultur”. According to idea, these garden colonies connected people with the natural environment in cultural sense and it allowed to the people to grow his own food. And besides that, walkways, bicycle paths, sports fields and forested area were designed to support common area and wohnkultur.

PRAUNHEIM

Another settlement example of Frankfurt on the main project is Praunheim. It was located adjacent Römerstadt settlement. The length of the settlement is one and a half kilometer and which located between Römerstadt settlement and Westhausen settlement. It was built in two parts. In Praunheim settlement, May used and developed a prefabrication system. It called as massive block. The slabs developed from this system. The slabs were very strong to bear the load of three storey structures without any support of pillar. At the first part of Praunheim, there were mainly two storey row structures. Again as at Römerstadt, the placement of structures and streets were designed. The structures were parallel to the roads. And the design of the structures was functionally similar to the Römerstadt. At the second stage of Praunheim, the first primitive form of zeilenbau concept was used. Zeilenbau concept is known as ribbon development and this system has some opportunity. Privacy, the movement of air, sun light condition and green spaces were regarded to use of zeilenbau concept. Single open-ended rows of apartments were designed. So that, the sun did not block from adjacent apartment building. Again the same street arrangement was designed. The roads were parallel to the structures.

WESTHAUSEN

The another settlement example is Westhausen. The buildings of Westhausen settlement were designed to respect the Zeilenbau concept. Many assets resulted from the use of Zeilenbau concept. Especially the light condition was provided by this concept. Generally buildings were designed open ended and because of this design, the units have a maximum amount of sun and they have free flow of air. The placement of streets was different from other settlements I have mentioned. The design of street pattern was created consideration air condition, movement in pedestrian walkways. The buildings were located perpendicular to the streets. These streets were connected to each other by pedestrian walkways, which were parallel to the apartment units. With this design, vehicular traffic was prohibited from to the settlement area. So that, cleaner air, a quitter environment and safer pedestrian movement obtained. Balconies were also provided vistas. Infrastructural savings were also thought. Designers systematized water, gas and sewer pipe layouts. These pipes placed under the roads and pedestrian walkways and so the gas and water transmitted to the houses.

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