Model Homes Exhibitions

Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, played host to the 1927 building exhibition by the German Work Federation (Deutscher Werkbund) on a site on the edge of the city near the old White Farm (Weißenhof). It became known as the Weißenhofsiedlung (literally: White Farm Settlement). It is a small estate comprising of only 60 dwellings in 21 separate buildings. A total of 17 architects worked on this model estate for Neues Bauen (New way of Building) by invitation of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The architecture is divers but highly consistent in detailing, with simple facades, roof terraces, ribbon windows, the lack of load baring partition walls, the use of steel window frames and a high degree of prefabrication. All but two buildings where colorless; the home designed by Bruno Taut was painted a bright red and Mart Stam's terraced row has a blue color. All the other building where painted in muted tones of grey or off-white. 

The Werkbund was an association of architects, designers and -importantly- industrialists whose principal aim was to establish a partnership between manufacturing and design in order to boost the competitiveness of German companies. The founding of the Werkbund was to prove an important event in the development of modern architecture and industrial design. With the creation of the Bauhaus school of design in 1919 the design vocabulary was rid of expressionist detailing and plasticity under the influence of the earlier Dutch artistic movement De Stijl (literally: The Style) and evolved into what is still considered modern architecture by most people today.

Not everyone was enthusiastic about this new way of building with its flat roofs, horizontal lines, open plan living, fold away room dividers, concrete rendering and bright coloring. Few people really embraced the new way of living advocated by the modernist architect. The problem being that they didn't just design new building with all manner of new gadgets and modern comforts, but also tried to dictate the way people lived in their buildings. 

The traditionalist counterpart to the Weißenhofsiedlung was built in 1933 on a site close by. This so-called Kochenhofsiedlung* was built under the guidance of the architect Paul Schmitthenner by himself and 22 selected architects. Together they designed 25 houses, most of them free standing, and a large school. Almost all selected architects belonged to the so-called Stuttgart School (1918-1940) or were affiliated with its traditionalist teachings at the Stuttgart Polytechnic (Technischen Hochschule Stuttgart). The school denounced historicism in architecture advocating a classical and conservative style of building. The construction and the materials used should show the work of the craftsmen who utilized his traditional skills and the natural materials available and thus give each building its shape. All houses are fitted with pitched roofs. Some are rendered. Some are clad in wood. But each building is  furnished with window shutters. The colors used are muted earth tones. Occasionally natural stone and slates are used as an embellishment.

Modern forms of building where resolutely rejected by the National Socialists (Nazi's), who heartily supported the erection of these traditional model homes. The build was also seized upon as a vehicle to support the German forestry industry. 

Comparing the design idiom of the Bauhaus (left) and the Stuttgart School (right) the contrast is clear.

* This model homes estate takes its name from the medieval Kochenhof, a name meaning Kitchen Farm.