Throughout the many planned excursions of art and architecture related works in Europe, the Hufeisensiedlung or Horseshoe Estate is the first representation of Modern Architecture in my experiences abroad. The Hufeisensiedlung, built in 1925-1933, is a housing estate located in Berlin, Germany designed by the architect Bruno Taut and Martin Wagner. The Estates purpose arose from 1850 to the end of the 1920s, the beginning of the 20th century, due to a growing city. At this time, Berlin experienced a rapid increase in population caused by industrialization and the end of World War I. With Berlin taking in such an influx of people, a lack of housing became an issue for the growing population, more specifically the working class. 140,000 apartments were built from 1924-1931 in the construction of these estates, each with an appropriate organizational order. In 2008, the Horseshoe Estate became part of the Berlin Modernism Housing Estates World Heritage Site.
In terms of the architectural elements, the term Hufeisen in German means Horseshoe, which is portrayed in the shape of the curved structure. There are terraced homes with a garden along the streets, and even a pond in the front that dates back to the Ice Age. Just by experiencing the site one feels both the sense of urbanism and ruralism as they move throughout the space, the value of nature working with the livelihood of people.
Not being able to go inside the Hufeisensiedlung, into one of the apartments, I was told the apartments were left unfurnished in there completed form. Bruno Taut had a specific image and order laid out for the design of not only the building, but the interior as well. Bruno Taut mentioned that he did not want the apartments to be cluttered and misused, wanting the residents to fill them with art. The simplicity of having three main rooms: a bedroom, kitchen, and a bathroom. Bruno Taut was influenced by the Bauhaus and encouraged the residents to furnish their apartments with Bauhaus-type steel furniture. The colors used and seen throughout the estate was furthermore intentional to the facade of the Horseshoe colony, including the light blue walls on the porches of the apartment buildings.
The Hufeisensiedling Estate was a fascinating building complex as it stood out in the means of its surrounding. The placement of the Estate deals with a constant changing city, from the old to the new, modern. The materials used in the construction of the building at the time would have been new, emphasizing the Modern Architecture approach. I believe Modern Architecture and the Bauhaus Movement played a vital role in the history of Berlin's Architectural atmosphere. It is a key and defining piece of Berlin's history, blending history with architecture, the past and the present, Modernism and Postmodernism. All in all, the Hufeisensiedlung Estate were and are an important portrayal and understanding of Modern Architecture in Europe.